Paper-leaf transport device

Abstract

To provide a paper-leaf transport device that, when transporting multiple banknotes by air flow, even if only one banknote flows by air flow leaving others, stops that one banknote and waits for the rest of the banknotes to arrive.SOLUTION: When transporting three banknotes (50A, 50B, 50C) in a first area (120A) of the duct, even if only one banknote (50B) is air-flowed, the banknote (50B) is stopped by a leaf stopper (125) formed on a side wall (122B) of the first area (120A). While the banknote (50B) is stopped by the leaf stopper (125), the remaining banknotes (50A, 50C) are pushed by the gun carriage to catch up with the banknote (50B) stopped by the leaf stopper (125), allowing the three banknotes (50A, 50B, 50C) to align.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper sheet transport device that generates an air flow in a duct to run a gun carry in the duct, and transports banknotes and other paper sheets in the duct via the gun carry. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of such a paper sheet transport device is described in Japanese Patent No. 7123453 (Patent Document 1). FIG. 41 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a paper sheet transport device 100 described in the publication and its surrounding environment. As shown in FIG. 41, the paper sheet conveying device 100 includes a gun carry 110 (see FIG. 42) that conveys paper sheets by pushing the banknotes and other paper sheets with its front side, a duct 120 having an internal space within which the gun carry 110 can run, a banknote storage chamber 140 that stores the paper sheets conveyed by the gun carry 110, a first blower 121a that generates an air flow within the duct 120 that causes the gun carry 110 to run in a direction X1 toward the banknote storage chamber 140, a second blower 121b that generates an air flow within the duct 120 that causes the gun carry 110 to run in a direction away from the banknote storage chamber 141, and a gun carry storage duct 130 that branches off from the duct 120 just before the banknote storage chamber 140. As shown in Fig. 41, a plurality of pachinko machines 20 and other gaming machines are arranged back-to-back (or on only one side) in a row in the left-right direction of Fig. 41 (only one pachinko machine 20 is shown in Fig. 41 to simplify the drawing), and a bill insertion device 21 for inserting bills is installed next to the pachinko machine 20. Game media (pachinko balls, medals, etc.) are paid out according to the amount of the bill inserted into the bill insertion device 21.

[0003] The duct 120 is installed on the rear side of the pachinko machines 20 so as to extend parallel to the arrangement direction of the pachinko machines 20 (the left-right direction in FIG. 41). FIG. 42 is a perspective view of the gun carrier 110 as viewed from the front side, and FIG. 43 is a perspective view of the gun carrier 110 as viewed from the rear side. As shown in Figures 42 and 43, the gun carry 110 is composed of a cylindrical main body portion 110a and a hemispherical rear portion 110b formed continuously with the main body portion 110a on the rear side of the main body portion 110a. The guns carry 110 pushes the bills on the front surface 110c of the main body 110a to transport them. A plurality of protrusions 110d of the same shape are formed at equal intervals along the circumference of the front surface 110c of the main body 110a. The bills are sandwiched between two adjacent protrusions 110d to hold them. The protrusions 110d are, for example, hemispherical. The gun carrier 110 moves forward by receiving an airflow (wind) from the first blower 121a at the rear portion 110b. FIG. 44 is a perspective view of the duct 120, and FIGS. 45 and 46 are perspective views showing the relative positions of the guns carry 110, the bills 50, and the duct 120 when the bills are being transported.

[0004] As shown in FIG. 44, the duct 120 is composed of a first region 120a and a second region 120b. The first area 120a has a vertically long rectangular cross section, its height is such that the short side 50a (see Figure 45) of a banknote 50 can pass through, and its width is such that the banknote 50 can pass through even if it is folded or curved. The second area 120b has a circular cross section and is set to a size (radius) that allows the gun carrier 110 to pass through. The first region 120a and the second region 120b partially overlap each other. Specifically, the center of the height direction of the first region 120a coincides with the center of the second region 120b, and the first region 120a protrudes in the up-down direction from the second region 120b.

[0005] As shown in Figures 45 and 46, the guns carry 110 pushes the short side 50a of the bill 50 with its front surface 110c, and transports the bill 50 inside the duct 120. The bill 50 passes through the first area 120a of the duct 120, and the guns carry 110 passes through the second area 120b of the duct 120. Only the bill 50 can pass through the first area 120a, and the guns carry 110 cannot pass through the first area 120a (to be precise, the guns carry 110 cannot pass through the part of the first area 120a that protrudes in the up and down directions from the second area 120b). Either the first blower 121a or the second blower 121b operates, or neither of them operates. They do not operate simultaneously. When the first blower 121a operates, the rear part 110b of the guns carry 110 housed inside the duct 120 receives wind pressure, and the guns carry 110 travels in the direction X1 toward the bill storage chamber 140.

[0006] On the other hand, when the second blower 121b is operated, the front surface 110c of the main body portion 110a of the guns carry 110 housed inside the duct 120 receives wind pressure, and the guns carry 110 travels in the direction X2 away from the bill storage chamber 140. The banknote 50 is inserted into the banknote inserting device 21 , passes through the inside of the banknote inserting device 21 , and is then inserted into the inside of the duct 120 . Figure 47 is a partial cross-sectional view of duct 120 and duct 130 for storing a gun carry branching off from duct 120, Figure 48 is a partial oblique view of duct 120 and duct 130 for storing a gun carry as viewed from the duct 130 side, and Figure 49 is a partial oblique view of duct 120 and duct 130 for storing a gun carry as viewed from the duct 120 side.

[0007] As shown in Fig. 47 to Fig. 49, of the first area 120a and the second area 120b constituting the duct 120, the first area 120a extends to the bill storage chamber 140, and the second area 120b branches off from the first area 120a to either the left or right (the left side in Fig. 47) just before the bill storage chamber 140. This branched second area 120b constitutes the gun carry storage duct 130. The gun carry storage duct 130 is connected at its tip to the second blower 121b. 50 to 54 are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the gun carry 110 is stored in the duct 130 for storing the gun carry, and FIGS. 55 to 57 are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the gun carry 110 is discharged from the duct 130 for storing the gun carry. As shown in FIG. 50, a circular stopper 130c for stopping the gun carry 110 is fitted inside the gun carry storage duct 130 in front of the second blower 121b.

[0008] The paper sheet transport device 100 operates as follows. When a customer of the pachinko machine 20 inserts a bill 50 into the bill inserting device 21, the bill 50 is inserted into the inside of the duct 120 by the bill inserting device 21. The bill insertion device 21 is provided with a bill detection sensor (not shown), and when a bill 50 is inserted into the duct 120, the bill detection sensor transmits a bill insertion signal indicating the insertion of the bill to a central control device (not shown). The central control device, which has received the bill insertion signal, activates the first blower 121a. When the first blower 121a starts operating, an air flow (wind) in the direction X1 toward the bill storage chamber 140 is generated inside the duct 120. The rear part 110b receives wind pressure from this air flow, and the guns carry 110 travels in the direction X1 toward the bill storage chamber 140 with the main body part 110a facing forward. The guns carry 110 captures the bills inserted into the duct 120 with the front surface 110c before reaching the bill storage chamber 140. As shown in Fig. 51, when the guns carry 110 reaches the guns carry storage duct 130, the bills 50 traveling in the first area 120a of the duct 120 continue to travel in the direction in which the first area 120a continues. That is, the bills 50 continue to travel toward the bill storage chamber 140, and are eventually stored in the bill storage chamber 140.

[0009] 52, the gun carry 110 is guided by the curved second region 120b and enters the inside of the gun carry storage duct 130. At this time, the sensor 131 installed in the gun carry storage duct 130 detects the passage of the gun carry 110 and transmits a first gun carry passing signal to the central control device. The central control device that receives the gun carry passing signal temporarily stops the operation of the first blower 121a. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 53, the gun carrier 110 hits the stopper 130c and stops. The gun carrier 110 is kept in this stopped position. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 54, the second through sixth gun carries 110 are stored inside the gun carry storage duct 130 in the same manner as the first gun carry 110 (at this point, six bills 50 are stored in the bill storage chamber 140).

[0010] After that, the central control device operates the second blower 121b. The stopper 130c has a hole through which air flows, and when the second blower 121b operates, the air flow generated by the second blower 121b passes through the hole of the stopper 130c and exerts a wind pressure on the gun carrier 110. As shown in Figures 55 and 56, six gun carriers 110 subjected to the wind pressure of the air flow (wind) from the second blower 121b are sent back in a group from the gun carry storage duct 130 through the duct 120 toward the first blower 121a. When the leading gun carry 110 (the gun carry 110 housed in the gun carry storage duct 130 as the sixth gun carry 110) reaches the first blower 121a, a sensor (not shown) detects the arrival of the gun carry 110 and transmits a gun carry arrival signal to the central control device. When the central control device receives the gun carry arrival signal, it stops the operation of the second blower 121b. At this point, as shown in FIG. 57, the gun carry 110 does not remain in the gun carry storage duct 130.

[0011] The six gun carries 110 that have reached the first blower 121a are stored one by one in a predetermined storage space. When the gun carries 110 are sent toward the bill storage chamber 140, the gun carries 110 are taken out one by one from the storage space, and start one by one in order inside the duct 120 toward the bill storage chamber 140 under the wind pressure of the air flow of the first blower 121a. The above operation constitutes one cycle of operation from when the banknote 50 is inserted into the banknote inserting device 21 to when the banknote is stored in the banknote storage chamber 140. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7123453 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] In the paper sheet transport device 100, when the number of banknotes 50 inserted into the banknote insert device 21 is not very large (when the gaming facility is not very busy), the banknotes 50 are transported one by one to the banknote storage chamber 140. However, when the number of banknotes 50 inserted into the banknote insert device 21 is large (when the gaming facility is busy), it becomes necessary to insert multiple banknotes 50, for example, three at a time, into the duct 120 and transport them to the banknote storage chamber 140. 58 and 59 are cross-sectional views of the inside of the duct 120 when three bills 50 are transported at once, as an example. As shown in Fig. 58, it is assumed that three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C are inserted into the first area 120a of the duct 120. The bills 50A and 50C are in contact with each of a pair of side walls of the first area 120a, and the bill 50B is located between the bills 50A and 50C. As shown in FIG. 58, when three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C are lined up horizontally with their leading edges aligned and the gun carry 110 arrives, the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C are pushed uniformly by the gun carry 110 and transported.

[0014] Even before the gun carry 110 arrives, the airflow generated by the first blower 121a flows inside the duct 120. The banknotes 50A and 50C in contact with each of the pair of side walls of the first area 120a are not blown away by the airflow because frictional force acts between each side wall, but the banknote 50B located in the center is not in contact with the other two banknotes 50A and 50C, or even if it is in contact with the other two banknotes 50A and 50C, frictional force between the banknotes 50A and 50C is negligible, so that the banknote 50B may be blown toward the banknote storage chamber 140 by the airflow, as shown in FIG. Figure 60 is a cross-sectional view showing the behavior of three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C inside the duct 120 before the gun carry 110 arrives, and Figure 61 is a cross-sectional view showing the behavior of three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C inside the duct 120 after the gun carry 110 arrives. As shown in Figure 60, let us assume that of three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C whose tips are aligned horizontally just before the gun carry storage duct 130, only the central bill 50B is ejected by the action of the air flow, passes over the gun carry storage duct 130, and enters the first area 120a.

[0015] After this, the guns carry 110 reaches the two bills 50A and 50C, and the guns carry 110 runs forward pushing the bills 50A and 50C. However, because the bill 50B is already present ahead, the two bills 50A and 50C pushed forward by the guns carry 110 collide with the bill 50B from behind (the bill 50B is not necessarily in the center of the first area 120a, but may be close to the side wall of the first area 120a). This causes a bill jam at the entrance of the bill storage chamber 140 (see FIG. 61). This type of banknote jamming is a common problem when transporting not only three but more than three banknotes 50 (when transporting two banknotes 50A, 50C, the two banknotes 50A, 50C are in contact with each of a pair of side walls of the first area 120a, so banknote jamming is less likely to occur). The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems of banknote jamming in conventional paper sheet transport devices as described above, and aims to provide a paper sheet transport device that makes it possible to prevent banknote jamming when transporting three or more banknotes or other paper sheets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a gun carry storage duct (130) that includes a duct (120), a paper sheet storage chamber (140) that is arranged at one end of the duct so as to communicate with the duct, a gun carry (110) that can travel within the duct, a first blower (121a) that generates an air flow within the duct in a direction toward the paper sheet storage chamber, a second blower (121b) that generates an air flow within the duct in a direction opposite to the direction toward the paper sheet storage chamber, and a gun carry storage duct (130) that branches off from the duct just before the paper sheet storage chamber and stores the gun carry, In the paper sheet transport device, the gun carrier is caused to travel in the duct by air flow, and the gun carrier transports the paper sheet (50) inserted into the duct to the paper sheet storage chamber, the duct is composed of a first area (120a) through which only the paper sheet can pass and a second area (120b) through which the gun carrier can pass, the first area extends to the paper sheet storage chamber, and the second area branches off from the first area just before the paper sheet storage chamber, forming a duct for storing the gun carry, the first area of ​​the duct is defined by a pair of side walls (122A, and a paper sheet stopper (125) for stopping the running of the paper sheets is formed on at least one of the pair of side walls, and the paper sheet stopper stops the paper sheets which are running by being pushed only by the air flow from the first blower, and allows the paper sheets which are running by being pushed by the gun carry to pass through.

[0017] It is preferable that the paper sheet stopper (125) is in the shape of a triangular prism and has a slope (125A) whose distance from one of the pair of side walls gradually increases in the direction of the airflow from the first fan. It is preferable that the height (H) of the paper sheet stopper (125) from one of the pair of side walls exceeds half the length (W) between the one of the pair of side walls and the other of the pair of side walls. The paper stopper (125) is preferably provided in front of the gun carry storage duct (130). It is preferable that the first region (120a) protrudes in the vertical direction from the second region (120b), and the paper sheet stopper is formed in at least one of the first region (120aA) protruding upward from the second region and the first region (120aB) protruding downward from the second region. It is preferable that the first area (120a) protrudes in the vertical direction from the second area (120b), and the paper sheet stopper (125) is formed on one (122A) of a pair of side walls of the first area (120aA) protruding upward from the second area, and is formed on the other (122B) of a pair of side walls of the first area (120aB) protruding downward from the second area.

[0018] A second paper sheet stopper (126) having the same shape as the paper sheet stopper (125) is formed on the other of the pair of side walls (122B), and it is preferable that the second paper sheet stopper (126) is located downstream of the paper sheet stopper (125) in the direction of the air flow generated by the first blower. It is preferable that the second paper sheet stopper (126) is in the shape of a triangular prism and has a slope whose distance from the other of the pair of side walls gradually increases in the direction of the air flow generated by the first fan. It is preferable that the height of the second paper sheet stopper (126) from one of the pair of side walls exceeds half the length between the one of the pair of side walls and the other of the pair of side walls. The machine further includes a second paper sheet stopper (126) located downstream of the paper sheet stopper in the direction of the air flow generated by the first blower, and it is preferable that the second paper sheet stopper (126) has the same shape as the paper sheet stopper (125).

[0019] A second paper sheet stopper (126) having the same shape as the paper sheet stopper (125) is formed on the other (122B) of the pair of side walls of the first area (120aA) protruding upward from the second area and on one (122A) of the pair of side walls of the first area (120aB) protruding downward from the second area, and it is preferable that the second paper sheet stopper (126) is located downstream of the paper sheet stopper (125) in the direction of the air flow generated by the first blower. The paper sheet stopper (127) is preferably composed of a pair of plate materials (127A, 127B), one of the pair of plate materials (127A) extending obliquely from one of the pair of side walls (122B) toward a longitudinal center line (120X) of the first area in the downstream direction of the air flow generated by the first blower (121a), and the other of the pair of plate materials (127B) extending obliquely from the other of the pair of side walls (122A) toward the center line (120X) in the downstream direction, with the tips of the pair of plate materials (127A, 127B) in contact on the center line (120X), and each tip of the pair of plate materials (127A, 127B) being biased toward the center line (120X).

[0020] The pair of plates (127A, 127B) are preferably made of spring steel. The pair of plate materials (127A, 127B) are formed with bent portions (128) bent at acute angles, and it is preferable that the bent portions (128) of each of the pair of plate materials (127A, 127B) overlap each other on the center line (120X). It is preferable that the machine further comprises a forming unit (200) for forming creases (53A-53E) on the paper sheets (50) before the paper sheets are fed into the duct, the creases extending in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the duct. The forming unit (200) is provided with two rollers (220A, 220B) having axes perpendicular to the extension direction of the duct and parallel to each other, and these two rollers (220A, 220B) have uneven surfaces (221), the convex part of one roller fits into the concave part of the other roller, and the paper sheet is preferably sandwiched between these two rollers to give the crease. At least one of the two rollers (220A, 220B) is preferably formed with at least one slit (222) extending parallel to the axis. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the paper sheet conveying device of the present invention, when conveying multiple (e.g., three) paper notes, even if only the central paper note (the paper note sandwiched between the paper notes on both sides) flows downstream alone due to the action of the air flow, the paper note hits the paper sheet stopper and is stopped, and does not proceed any further. While the paper note is stopped by the paper sheet stopper, the remaining paper notes are pushed by the gun carry and catch up with the paper notes stopped by the paper sheet stopper. After that, all the paper notes are pushed uniformly by the gun carry and conveyed to the paper note storage chamber. In this way, all the banknotes can be transported simultaneously, so that jamming caused by a single banknote flowing forward can be prevented. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a duct used in the paper sheet transport device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the duct shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower half of the duct shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of a duct showing a function of a paper sheet stopper in the paper sheet transport device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a duct used in a paper sheet transport device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view of the duct shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lower half of the duct shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a duct showing the function of a second paper sheet stopper in the paper sheet transport device according to the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a side view of a first plate member constituting the third paper sheet stopper. FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a plan view of the first plate member shown in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a duct used in a paper sheet transport device according to a third embodiment.

[0023] [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a side view of the duct shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the duct shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 17] FIG. 14 is a perspective view including a partially exploded view of the duct shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 18] 14 is a perspective view including a partially exploded view of the duct shown in FIG. 13 as viewed from above. [Figure 19] Figure 19(A) is a cross-sectional view of a forming unit in a paper sheet transport device relating to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, Figure 19(B) is a front view of the forming unit when viewed from a horizontal direction, and Figure 19(C) is a vertical cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 19(B). [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of the forming unit shown in FIGS. 19(A) to 19(C). [Figure 21] 20A to 20C are exploded perspective views of the forming unit when a first bill passage and a second bill passage of the forming unit are removed. [Figure 22] 22 is an exploded perspective view of only a first bill passage and a second bill passage which are not shown in FIG. 21. FIG.

[0024] [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is a front view of a pair of forming rollers in a paper sheet transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the pair of forming rollers shown in FIG. 23. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one of a pair of forming rollers. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a second banknote passage in a paper sheet transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a partial exploded view of the second bill passage shown in FIG. 26. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a banknote delivery roller and a pair of banknote pressure plates in a paper sheet transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] 13A to 13C are cross-sectional views showing the operation of a forming unit in a paper sheet transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 30] 13A to 13C are cross-sectional views showing the operation of a forming unit in a paper sheet transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] [Diagram 31] 13A to 13C are cross-sectional views showing the operation of a forming unit in a paper sheet transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 32] 13A to 13C are cross-sectional views showing the operation of a forming unit in a paper sheet transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 33] 13A to 13C are cross-sectional views showing the operation of a forming unit in a paper sheet transport device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 34] FIG. 34(A) is a front view of a banknote that has been creased by a pair of forming rollers, and FIG. 34(B) is a side view of the banknote shown in FIG. 34(A). [Diagram 35]35(A) and 35(B) are schematic perspective views showing the state when a banknote that has been creased by the forming roller is captured by the gun carry. [Diagram 36] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a banknote storage chamber and its surrounding structure in a paper sheet transport device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, seen obliquely from above. [Figure 37] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a structure of a paper sheet transport device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention when a banknote storage chamber is removed, as viewed from the horizontal side. [Figure 38] FIG. 38 is a partially enlarged view of FIG.

[0026] [Figure 39] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a banknote storage chamber and its surrounding structure in a paper sheet transport device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Diagram 40] FIG. 40 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 39. [Diagram 41] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a conventional paper sheet transport device and its surrounding environment; [Diagram 42] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gun carrier in a conventional paper sheet transport device as viewed from the front side. [Diagram 43] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a gun carrier in a conventional paper sheet transport device as viewed from the rear side. [Diagram 44] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a duct in a conventional paper sheet transport device. [Diagram 45] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of a gun carrier, banknotes, and a duct in a conventional paper sheet transport device. [Figure 46] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of a gun carrier, banknotes, and a duct in a conventional paper sheet transport device.

[0027] [Figure 47] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a duct and a gun carry storage duct branched off from the duct in a conventional paper sheet transport device. FIG. [Figure 48]FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the duct and the duct for storing the gun carry when viewed from the duct side. [Figure 49] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the duct and the duct for storing the gun carry when viewed from the duct side. [Figure 50] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the gun carry is stored in the gun carry storage duct. FIG. [Figure 51] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the gun carry is stored in the gun carry storage duct. FIG. [Figure 52] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the gun carry is stored in the gun carry storage duct. FIG.

[0028] [Diagram 53] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the gun carry is stored in the gun carry storage duct. FIG. [Figure 54] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the gun carry is stored in the gun carry storage duct. FIG. [Figure 55] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the gun carry is discharged from the gun carry storage duct. FIG. [Figure 56] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the gun carry is discharged from the gun carry storage duct. FIG. [Figure 57] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the gun carry is discharged from the gun carry storage duct. FIG. [Figure 58] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the inside of a duct when three banknotes are transported at once. [Figure 59] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the inside of a duct when three banknotes are transported at once. [Figure 60] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the behavior of three bills inside the duct before the gun carries arrive. [Figure 61] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the behavior of three bills inside the duct at a stage after the arrival of the gun carry. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a duct 120 used in a paper sheet transport device according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a side view of the duct 120, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is an oblique view of the lower half of the duct 120. The duct 120 used in the paper sheet transport device according to this embodiment is provided with two paper sheet stoppers 125 for stopping the banknotes 50B carried by the air flow. Except for this point, the paper sheet transport device according to this embodiment has the same structure as the paper sheet transport device 100 shown in Figs. 41 to 57. 1, the first region 120a of the duct 120 protrudes upward and downward from the second region 120b. The part of the first region 120a protruding upward from the second region 120b is referred to as an upper portion 120aA, and the part of the first region 120a protruding downward from the second region 120b is referred to as a lower portion 120aB. The two paper sheet stoppers 125 are formed on one of a pair of side walls of the upper portion 120aA (the left side wall in FIG. 1) 122A, and further formed on the other of a pair of side walls of the lower portion 120aB (the right side wall in FIG. 1) 122B.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each paper sheet stopper 125 has a triangular prism shape and has an inclined surface 125A whose distance from the side walls 122A, 122B gradually increases in the direction of the airflow from the first blower 121a. As shown in FIG. 1, the two paper stoppers 125 are formed symmetrically with respect to a center line 120X that divides the first region 120a of the duct 120 into left and right. The two paper stoppers 125 are formed at positions equidistant in the vertical direction with respect to the center of the second area 120b, and further, the two paper stoppers 125 are formed in the duct 120 at a position just before the gun carry storage duct 130. The height H of each paper sheet stopper 125 (the horizontal length from side walls 122A, 122B to the apex of the paper sheet stopper 125) is set to exceed half the width W of the first area 120a (the horizontal length between the inner surface of side wall 122A and the inner surface of side wall 122B). H>W / 2

[0031] For example, the height H of each paper sheet stopper 125 is set to be between 60% and 80% of the width W of the first area 120a. 0.6W≦H≦0.8W 5 is a cross-sectional view of the duct 120 showing the function of the paper sheet stopper 125. Hereinafter, the function of the paper sheet stopper 125 will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, it is assumed that, of the three bills 50A, 50B, 50C in the duct 120, only the central bill 50B is affected by the air flow and is blown independently downstream of the air flow. The pair of upper and lower paper sheet stoppers 125 can stop the paper notes 50B thus caused to flow by the air flow. Since the paper sheet stopper 125 has a height H that exceeds half the width W of the first area 120a, the paper sheet stopper 125 can reliably stop the paper sheet 50B located approximately in the center of the width of the first area 120a even if the paper sheet 50B is carried away by the air flow.

[0032] The paper sheet stopper 125 can only stop the paper sheet 50B that is pushed by the air flow generated by the first blower 121a and passes the paper sheet 50 that is pushed by the guns carry 110. Therefore, while the paper sheet 50B is stopped by the paper sheet stopper 125, the other paper sheets 50A and 50C pushed by the guns carry 110 can catch up with the paper sheet 50B, and the three paper sheets 50A, 50B, and 50C can be pushed by the guns carry 110 together and carried to the paper sheet storage chamber 140. Specifically, the paper sheet 50B (and the paper sheets 50A and 50C) pushed by the guns carry 110 slips through the space between the apex of the paper sheet stopper 125 and the side wall 122A or 122B. In addition, since the guns carry 110 travels only in the second area 120b, the guns carry 110 does not interfere with the paper stopper 125 formed in the first area 120a.

[0033] As described above, with the paper sheet transport device of this embodiment, when transporting three or more banknotes, it is possible to prevent only the central banknote (the banknote located between the banknotes on either side) from being affected by the air flow and flowing independently downstream of the air flow, thereby preventing banknote jams caused by subsequent banknotes catching up with a banknote that has flowed independently. The paper sheet transport device according to this embodiment is not limited to the above-described structure, and various modifications are possible. In the paper sheet conveying device of this embodiment, a paper sheet stopper 125 is provided in each of the upper part 120aA and the lower part 120aB of the first area 120a, but it is also possible to provide the paper sheet stopper 125 only in either the upper part 120aA or the lower part 120aB. In the paper sheet conveying device of this embodiment, the paper sheet stopper 125 is formed on the side wall 122A in the upper part 120aA and on the side wall 122B in the lower part 120aB, but it is also possible for both the upper and lower paper sheet stoppers 125 to be formed on the side wall 122A or the side wall 122B.

[0034] In the paper sheet transport device according to this embodiment, the paper sheet stopper 125 is formed to have a triangular prism shape, but the shape of the paper sheet stopper 125 is not limited to this. For example, the paper sheet stopper 125 may be hemispherical. It is preferable that the paper sheet stopper 125 has a slope or curved surface so that the banknote 50 can easily pass through the paper sheet stopper 125 when pushed by the gun carry 110. Second Embodiment In the paper sheet transport device according to the first embodiment, one paper sheet stopper 125 is provided in each of the upper part 120aA and the lower part 120aB of the first area 120a, but the number of paper sheet stoppers 125 is not limited to 1. It is possible to provide a plurality of paper sheet stoppers 125. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a duct 120 used in a paper sheet transport device according to a second embodiment, FIG. 7 is a side view of the duct 120, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along line BB in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is an oblique view of the lower half of the duct 120.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the paper sheet transport device according to the second embodiment, in addition to the paper sheet stopper 125, a second paper sheet stopper 126 is provided in the first area 120a. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the lower portion 120aB of the first area 120a, the paper sheet stopper 125 is formed on the side wall 122B, whereas the second paper sheet stopper 126 is formed on the side wall 122A. The second paper sheet stopper 126 is located downstream of the paper sheet stopper 125 in the direction of the airflow from the first blower 121a. The second paper sheet stopper 126 has the same shape as the paper sheet stopper 125, and is symmetrical in shape with respect to a center line 120X of the first area 120a that divides the first area 120a into left and right. As shown in FIG. 6, a second paper sheet stopper 126 is provided in an upper portion 120aA of the first area 120a, similarly to a lower portion 120aB of the first area 120a.

[0036] Specifically, in the upper portion 120aA, the paper sheet stopper 125 is formed on the side wall 122A, whereas the second paper sheet stopper 126 is formed on the side wall 122B. In the upper portion 120aA, the second paper sheet stopper 126 is located downstream of the paper sheet stopper 125 in the direction of the airflow generated by the first blower 121a. The second paper sheet stopper 126 has the same shape as the paper sheet stopper 125, and is symmetrical in shape with respect to the center line 120X of the first area 120a that divides the first area 120a into left and right. That is, the paper sheet stopper 125 and the second paper sheet stopper 126 are arranged alternately in the direction of the airflow. As described above, the paper sheet stopper 125 and the second paper sheet stopper 126 are disposed in the air flow direction in the upper portion 120aA and the lower portion 120aB of the first area 120a, respectively. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the duct 120 showing the function of the second paper sheet stopper 126. The function of the second paper sheet stopper 126 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0037] Although the paper sheet stopper 125 alone has the function of stopping the paper notes 50B flowing due to the air flow, there is a possibility that the paper notes 50B will slip through the paper sheet stopper 125 and flow downstream. By providing a second paper sheet stopper 126 downstream of the paper sheet stopper 125, the paper notes 50B that have slipped through the paper sheet stopper 125 and flowed downstream can be stopped reliably. It is also possible to arrange three or more paper stoppers in the direction of the air flow. In that case, it is also preferable to arrange the paper stoppers alternately. Third embodiment In the paper sheet transport device according to the third embodiment, a movable paper sheet stopper 127 is used instead of the paper sheet stopper 125 in the first embodiment. Except for this point, the paper sheet transport device according to this embodiment has the same structure as the paper sheet transport device according to the first embodiment.

[0038] The movable paper sheet stopper 127 is made up of a pair of a first plate member 127A and a second plate member 127B. FIG. 11 is a side view of the first plate member 127A, and FIG. 12 is a plan view of the first plate member 127A. The first plate member 127A is made of a thin rectangular metal plate. The metal plate that constitutes the first plate member 127A is made of spring steel. Therefore, the first plate member 127A has elasticity, and has the ability to bend when an external force is applied and to return to its original shape when the external force is removed. First plate member 127A has a front surface 127a and a back surface 127b, and first plate member 127A has a bent portion 128 at one end of its long side (the left end in Figure 12) that is bent at an acute angle from front surface 127a toward back surface 127b, and two through holes 129 are formed near the other end of the long side (the right end in Figure 12). The second plate member 127B is the same member as the first plate member 127A. Figure 13 is a duct 120 used in a paper sheet transport device in accordance with the third embodiment, and is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the duct 120 to which a movable paper sheet stopper 127 is attached, Figure 14 is a side view of the duct 120, Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 14, Figure 16 is an oblique view of the duct 120, Figure 17 is an oblique view including a partially exploded view of the duct 120, and Figure 18 is an oblique view including a partially exploded view of the duct 120 as viewed from above.

[0039] 14 and 16, a wedge-shaped block 132 is attached to both outer walls of the upper portion 120aA of the first region 120a of the duct 120. The inclined surface of the wedge-shaped block 132 has an inclination that decreases from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the conveying direction (direction in which the air flows) of the banknotes 50, and a slit-shaped opening 120c is formed in the outer wall of the upper portion 120aA in the extension direction of the inclined surface in front of the block 132 (forward in the conveying direction of the banknotes 50). The slit-shaped opening 120c has a size that allows the first plate member 127A to pass through. A pair of first plate members 127A and 127B constituting the movable paper sheet stopper 127 are attached to the duct 120 in the following manner. The first plate member 127A is attached to the block 132 such that a surface 127a of the first plate member 127A abuts against the surface of the block 132. An attachment plate 132A having two through holes formed therein that correspond to the through holes 129 of the first plate member 127A is disposed on the back surface 127b side of the first plate member 127A, and the first plate member 127A is fixed to the block 132 from the outside of the attachment plate 132A via screws.

[0040] First plate member 127A is attached to block 132 so as to extend from side wall 122B of duct 120 through opening 120c into the inside of duct 120. Inside duct 120, first plate member 127A extends obliquely toward center line 120X in the downstream direction of the air flow. The inclination angle of the inclined surface of the wedge-shaped block 132 and the bending angle of the bent portion 128 are set to be equal, and further, the length of the first plate member 127A is set so that when the first plate member 127A is attached to the block 132, the bent portion 128 is on the center line 120X. Similar to the first plate member 127A, the second plate member 127B is fixedly attached to the block 132. That is, the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center line 120X. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 15, 17 and 18, the bent portions 128 of the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B overlap each other on the center line 120X.

[0041] In this way, first plate member 127A and second plate member 127B are arranged to form a V shape centered on center line 120X, with the apex of the V located downstream in the airflow direction. First plate member 127A and second plate member 127B are simply in contact with each other at bent portion 128, which is the apex of the V, and therefore can come into contact with each other or be separated from each other, as described below. The folded portion 128 of the first plate member 127A and the folded portion 128 of the second plate member 127B are in contact with each other (overlapped) when the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C are not being conveyed, but they separate in directions away from each other when the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C are pushed by the guns carry 110. That is, by making the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B out of spring steel, the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B are given an elastic force that does not open relative to one bill 50B carried by the air flow, but opens relative to three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C pushed by the guns carry 110.

[0042] The movable paper stopper 127 is used as follows. As described above, if only the central banknote 50B of the three banknotes 50A, 50B, 50C in the duct 120 is affected by the air flow and is caused to flow independently in the downstream direction of the air flow, the banknote 50B is stopped by the movable paper sheet stopper 127, specifically, at the inside apex of the V-shape formed by the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B. While the bill 50B is stopped by the movable paper sheet stopper 127, the other two bills 50A and 50C pushed by the gun carry 110 catch up with the bill 50B that was ahead of it. The first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B of the movable paper sheet stopper 127 are only in contact with each other at the folded portions 128 and can be easily separated. Therefore, when the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C are pushed together by the gun carry 110, the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B are separated into left and right at the apex of the V shape by the force of the bills 50A, 50B, and 50C. As a result, the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C pass through the movable paper sheet stopper 127 and are transported.

[0043] In this way, the bill 50B carried by the air flow is stopped by the movable bill stopper 127 alone, but the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C pushed by the gun carry 110 can pass through the movable bill stopper 127. In this way, the movable paper sheet stopper 127 also has the same function as the paper sheet stopper 125 in the first embodiment and the paper sheet stopper 125 and the second paper sheet stopper 126 in the second embodiment. The paper sheet transport device according to this embodiment is not limited to the above-described structure, and various modifications are possible. In this embodiment, the movable paper stopper 127 is provided only in the upper portion 120aA of the first area 120a, but it is also possible to provide it in the lower portion 120aB, or in both the upper portion 120aA and the lower portion 120aB.

[0044] In addition, in this embodiment, the movable paper sheet stopper 127 is made of spring steel and therefore has elasticity, but it is also possible to make the movable paper sheet stopper 127 out of a metal other than spring steel (or resin or other rigid material) and bias the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B with a spring or other elastic member to achieve the above-mentioned function. The first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B in the paper sheet transport device according to this embodiment are each provided with a folded portion 128, but it is also possible not to form the folded portion 128. In this case, the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B are closed with the leading ends of the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B in contact with each other. The bill 50B carried by the air flow is stopped by the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B alone, but the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C pushed by the gun carry 110 can push open the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B and pass through. Furthermore, the first plate member 127A and the second plate member 127B are both formed as flat plates, but may also be formed as curved plate members.

[0045] (Fourth embodiment) As shown in Figs. 58 and 59, when the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C are transported, it is desirable that the leading edges of the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C are aligned. If the bills are relatively new, there is no great difficulty in aligning the tips of the three bills 50A, 50B, and 50C. However, many bills that have been in circulation for a long time have creases, and it is difficult to align the tips of such creased bills. For this reason, the paper sheet transport device according to the fourth embodiment is additionally provided with a forming unit 200 that corrects creases in a banknote, compared to the paper sheet transport devices according to the first to third embodiments. The forming unit 200 is a device that creases the banknote 50 in the horizontal direction (the direction parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50), as described later. Fig. 19(A) is a cross-sectional view of the forming unit 200, Fig. 19(B) is a front view of the forming unit 200 as viewed from the horizontal direction, and Fig. 19(C) is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 19(B). Fig. 20 is an exploded perspective view of the forming unit 200.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 19(A), the forming unit 200 is disposed between the banknote inserting device 21 (see FIG. 41) and the duct 120. The formation unit 200 is composed of a pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 that take in the banknotes 50 transported from the banknote insert device 21 into the formation unit 200, a pair of formation rollers 220 that crease the banknotes 50 in a direction parallel to the direction in which the long side 50b (see Figure 45) of the banknotes 50 extends, a first banknote passage 230 through which the banknotes 50 pass from the banknote take-in rollers 210 to the formation roller 220, a second banknote passage 240 through which the banknotes 50 pass from the formation roller 220 to the duct 120, a banknote discharge roller 250 that is positioned just before the outlet of the second banknote passage 240 and sends the banknotes 50 to the duct 120, a pair of banknote pressing plates 260 that press the banknotes 50 against the banknote discharge roller 250, and a drive motor 270 that drives the pair of banknote take-in rollers 210, the pair of formation rollers 220 and the banknote discharge roller 250. FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of the formation unit 200 with the first bill passage 230 and the second bill passage 240 removed, and FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of only the first bill passage 230 and the second bill passage 240. As shown in FIG.

[0047] As shown in Figures 19(A), 20 and 21, a pair of banknote take-up rollers 210 are positioned in the direction of travel of the banknotes 50 fed out from the banknote feed device 21, clamp the banknotes 50 fed out from the banknote feed device 21, and feed the banknotes 50 to a pair of formation rollers 220 via a first banknote passage 230. As shown in FIG. 22, the first banknote passage 230 consists of a pair of walls that stand upright and parallel to each other, and the banknotes sent out from the pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 pass through the first banknote passage 230 and are sent to the pair of forming rollers 220. FIG. 23 is a front view of the pair of forming rollers 220, FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the pair of forming rollers 220, and FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of one of the pair of forming rollers 220. As shown in FIG. The pair of forming rollers 220 is composed of a first roller 220A and a second roller 220B. These two rollers 220A, 220B are arranged so that their axes are parallel to each other, specifically, so that both axes are vertical. As shown in FIG. 21, the first roller 220A is a driving roller driven by a driving motor 270 via a belt 272, and the second roller 220B is a driven roller driven by the first roller 220A.

[0048] A plurality of projections and recesses 221 having a triangular cross section are formed on the surface of each of the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B. Each projection and recess 221 is formed to be located in a horizontal plane, and is arranged in parallel at regular intervals in the axial direction of each of the two rollers 220A, 220B. The first roller 220A and the second roller 220B are disposed adjacent to each other so that the projections and recesses 221 of the two rollers 220A, 220B mesh with each other. The projections of the first roller 220A mesh with the recesses of the second roller 220B, and the recesses of the first roller 220A mesh with the projections of the second roller 220B. 23 to 25, the second roller 220B has four slits 222 formed on its surface, each slit having a triangular cross section. As shown in Fig. 25, the four slits 222 are provided at equal intervals (at a circumferential angle of 90 degrees) in the circumferential direction of the second roller 220B. 23, the bill 50 passes through the two rollers 220A and 220B while being sandwiched between the projections 221 of the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B. This causes a crease to be made in the bill 50 that runs parallel to the long side 50b (parallel to the direction in which the duct 120 extends or the direction in which the guns carry 110 runs) (this will be described later).

[0049] Conventionally, if the surface of the roller is flat, the banknote 50 may slip when being transported. In response to this, a slit 222 is formed in the second roller 220B of the pair of forming rollers 220. By providing the slit 222, the contact between the second roller 220B and the banknote 50 becomes a point or line rather than a surface, so that a catch (friction) occurs between the second roller 220B and the banknote 50. As a result, the gripping force during transport of the banknote 50 is improved, and it is possible to prevent the banknote 50 from slipping when being transported. FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the second bill passage 240, and FIG. 27 is a partial exploded view of the second bill passage 240. As shown in FIG. As shown in Figures 26 and 27, the second banknote passage 240 consists of a pair of first wall portions 240A standing upright parallel to each other and forming a passage between them, and a pair of second wall portions 240C extending outward from an entrance 240B to the pair of first wall portions 240A perpendicular to the pair of first wall portions 240A.

[0050] The banknotes that have passed through the pair of forming rollers 220 pass through the passage between the pair of first wall portions 240A from the entrance 240B, and are sent toward the duct 120, as shown in FIG. 19(A). FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the banknote delivery roller 250 and the pair of banknote pressure plates 260. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 28, the banknote delivery roller 250 consists of two concentric small rollers 250A, 250B arranged at a distance from each other in the axial direction, and one wall portion (the wall portion farther from the duct 120) of a pair of first wall portions 240A of the second banknote passage 240 extends into the space between the two small rollers 250A, 250B. Each of the pair of bill pressing plates 260 is composed of a pressing plate 260A and a spring 260B. The tip of the pressure plate 260A is divided into comb teeth and formed into an arc shape to match the outer periphery of the small rollers 250A, 250B of the banknote delivery roller 250. The arc shape of the tip enables the tip of the pressure plate 260A to come into close contact with the outer periphery of the small rollers 250A, 250B.

[0051] The pressing plate 260A is rotatably attached to the other wall portion (the wall portion closer to the duct 120) of the pair of first wall portions 240A via a pin 260C. A spring 260B is sandwiched between the rear end of the pressure plate 260A and the other wall of the pair of first wall portions 240A. The spring 260B applies an elastic force to the pressure plate 260A in a direction that moves the rear end of the pressure plate 260A away from the other wall of the pair of first wall portions 240A. Therefore, the tip of each pressure plate 260A that can rotate around the pin 260C is always pressed against the surface of the small rollers 250A, 250B of the banknote feed roller 250. 19(B) and 21, the drive motor 270 drives the banknote delivery roller 250 via a belt 271, and also drives the first roller 220A of the pair of forming rollers 220 via a belt 272. One roller of the pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 (the roller closer to the drive motor 270) is driven by the drive motor 270 via the first roller 220A and a belt 273.

[0052] 29 to 33 are cross-sectional views showing the operation of the forming unit 200 in this embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the forming unit 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 29, the banknotes 50 sent from the banknote inserting device 21 are sandwiched between a pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 and taken into the forming unit 200 . Next, as shown in FIG. 30, the banknote 50 is fed by a pair of banknote intake rollers 210 through the inside of a first banknote passage 230 to a pair of forming rollers 220. FIG. 34(A) is a front view of a banknote 50 that has been creased by a pair of forming rollers 220, and FIG. 34(B) is a side view of the banknote 50 shown in FIG. 34(A).

[0053] While passing between the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B constituting the pair of forming rollers 220, the banknote 50 receives pressing forces in mutually different directions from the concaves and convexes 221 of the two rollers 220A and 220B. Specifically, the first roller 220A applies a pressing force to the banknote 50 in a direction from right to left by the convex of the concaves and convexes 221, and the second roller 220B applies a pressing force to the banknote 50 in a direction from left to right by the convex of the concaves and convexes 221. In this way, the banknote 50 receives a pressing force from right to left and a pressing force from left to right in a zigzag manner, and as shown in Figures 34(A) and 34(B), for example, five folds 53A to 53E extending in the horizontal direction (parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50) are formed in the banknote 50. Increasing the distance between the projections and recesses 221 of the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B reduces the number of folds, whereas decreasing the distance between the projections and recesses 221 increases the number of folds. The banknote 50 on which the creases 53A-53E have been made by the pair of forming rollers 220 is sent from the pair of forming rollers 220 to a banknote sending roller 250 via a second banknote passage 240, as shown in FIG.

[0054] The banknotes 50 sent to the banknote delivery roller 250 are sandwiched between the banknote delivery roller 250 and each pressure plate 260A of the pair of banknote pressure plates 260, as shown in FIG. 33, the bill 50 is fed into the first area 120a of the duct 120. Thereafter, the bill 50 is captured by the gun carry 110 and transported to the bill storage chamber 14. The above-mentioned operation constitutes one cycle of operation in which the banknotes 50 inserted into the banknote inserting device 21 pass through the forming unit 200 and are sent into the duct 120. Thereafter, this operation is repeated. FIG. 35 is a schematic perspective view showing the state when the banknote 50 with the creases 53A-53E formed by the forming roller 220 is captured by the gun carry 110.

[0055] 35(A), in many cases, banknotes 50 in circulation are folded vertically (parallel to the short side 50a of the banknote 50), and therefore, the banknotes 50 have vertical folds 51A-51C before being inserted into the banknote inserting device 21. If the banknotes 50 with vertical folds 51A-51C are sent into the duct 120 as is, they will bend around fold 51C, for example, when pushed by the traveling guns carry 110, which can result in banknote jamming. In contrast to this, by providing the forming unit 200, even if the banknote 50 has vertical creases 51A-51C, by passing between a pair of forming rollers 220, the banknote 50 will have horizontal creases (creases parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50) 53A-53E in addition to the vertical creases 51A-51C, as shown in Figure 35 (A).

[0056] In this way, by making the horizontal folds 53A-53E in the bill 50, the rigidity of the bill 50 is improved (so-called "stiffness" is increased) against an external force acting on the bill 50 in the traveling direction of the gun carry 110, i.e., in a direction parallel to the long side 50b of the bill 50. By making the horizontal folds 53A-53E in the bill 50, it is possible to offset the fragility of the bill 50 caused by the vertical folds 51A-51C. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 35(B), even if the gun carry 110 hits the short side 50a of the banknote 50, the banknote 50 will not bend midway because the rigidity against external forces parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50 (the impact force when the gun carry 110 hits) is increased. Even when three banknotes 50A, 50B, and 50C are transported simultaneously, it becomes easy to keep the leading edges of the three banknotes 50A, 50B, and 50C aligned. The paper sheet transport device according to this embodiment is not limited to the above-described structure, and various modifications are possible.

[0057] For example, in this embodiment, the unevenness 221 having a triangular cross section is formed on the surface of each of the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B constituting the pair of forming rollers 220, but the shape of the unevenness 221 is not limited to this. For example, instead of the unevenness 221 having a triangular cross section, it is also possible to form unevenness having a rectangular, trapezoidal, semicircular, or other cross section. Any shape can be adopted as the shape of the unevenness 221 as long as it is possible to create the folds 53A-53E parallel to the long side 50b of the bill 50. The number of the folds 53A-53E parallel to the long side 50b of the bill 50 is not limited to five, and any number can be selected depending on the conveying speed of the bill 50, the running speed of the gun carry 110, whether the bill 50 is new or old (new or not), etc. Furthermore, instead of using one pair of forming rollers 220 as in this embodiment, it is also possible to arrange multiple pairs of forming rollers 220 along the transport direction of the banknotes 50. In this case, the profiles (shape, number, intervals, etc.) of the irregularities 221 formed on each pair of forming rollers 220 of the multiple pairs of forming rollers 220 can be made different from one another.

[0058] In the paper sheet transport device according to this embodiment, four slits 222 are formed in the second roller 220B, but the number of slits 222 is not limited to four. Any number greater than or equal to one can be selected depending on the transport speed of the banknotes 50, etc. In the paper sheet conveying device of this embodiment, the slit 222 is formed only in one roller (the second roller 220B) of the pair of forming rollers 220, but it is also possible to form the slit 222 in both rollers of the pair of forming rollers 220. When the slits 222 are formed in both rollers (first roller 220A and second roller 220B) of the pair of forming rollers 220, the slits formed in the first roller 220A and the slits formed in the second roller 220B can have different profiles (shape, number, interval, etc.). By making the slits formed in both rollers have different profiles in this way, it is possible to increase the grip force on the banknotes 50.

[0059] Fifth embodiment Figure 36 is an oblique view of the banknote storage chamber 140 and its surrounding structure in a paper sheet transport device according to the fifth embodiment, as viewed diagonally from above; Figure 37 is an oblique view of the structure when the banknote storage chamber 140 is removed, as viewed horizontally; Figure 38 is a partially enlarged view of Figure 37; Figure 39 is a plan view of the banknote storage chamber 140 and its surrounding structure, as viewed from above; and Figure 40 is a partially enlarged view of Figure 39. After being inserted into the duct 120, the bills 50 are captured by the guns carry 110 and transported to the bill storage chamber 140. Since the guns carry 110 is stored in the guns carry storage duct 130, only the bills 50 reach the bill storage chamber 140 after passing through the guns carry storage duct 130. The paper sheet transport device of this embodiment is equipped with a double belt unit to reliably transport banknotes, particularly multiple banknotes (for example, three banknotes 50A, 50B, and 50C shown in Figures 5 and 10), to the banknote storage chamber 140. As best shown in FIGS. 39 and 40, the double belt unit is made up of two belt units: a first belt unit 310 and a second belt unit 320.

[0060] A bill passage 330 through which bills 50 pass is formed between the branch point of the duct 120 and the gun carry storage duct 130 and the end point of the first area 120a. The first belt unit 310 and the second belt unit 320 are disposed on both sides of the bill passage 330 in front of the bill storage chamber 140. The first belt unit 310 is made up of two rollers 310A, two rollers 310B (only the roller 310A is shown in FIG. 40; see FIG. 38 for the rollers 310B), and two belts 310C (see FIG. 38). As shown in Fig. 38, the two rollers 310A are connected via a shaft and rotate synchronously. Similarly, the two rollers 310B are connected via a shaft and rotate synchronously. The belt 310C is stretched across one roller 310A and one roller 310B. The distance between the two belts 310C is set to a length that allows the two belts 310C to hold the banknote 50, specifically, to be shorter than the short side 50a of the banknote 50 (see Fig. 45).

[0061] The first belt unit 310 is disposed so that the belt 310C is located on one side of the bill passage 330 (the right side in FIG. 40). The second belt unit 320, like the first belt unit 310, is composed of two rollers 320A, two rollers 320B, and two belts 320C. The basic structure of the second belt unit 320 is similar to that of the first belt unit 310. However, the distance between the two belts 320C is set shorter than the distance between the two belts 310C, and, as shown in FIG. 38, when viewed from the horizontal direction, both of the two belts 320C are located between the two belts 310C. The second belt unit 320 is disposed opposite the first belt unit 310 on the other side of the bill passage 330 (on the left side in FIG. 40). In the first belt unit 310, the center line connecting the centers of the two rollers 310A and 310B is parallel to the bill passage 330, whereas in the second belt unit 320, the center line connecting the centers of the two rollers 320A and 320B is inclined with respect to the bill passage 330. Specifically, the roller 320A (the roller closer to the branch point of the duct 120 and the guns carry storage duct 130) is located farther from the first belt unit 310 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the bill passage 330 extends than the other roller 320B (the roller farther from the branch point of the duct 120 and the guns carry storage duct 130). Therefore, at the position of the roller 320A, the belt 320C is not in the same vertical plane as the belt 310C of the first belt unit 310, and is away from the bill passage 330. On the other hand, at the position of the roller 320B, the belt 320C and the belt 310C of the first belt unit 310 are in the same vertical plane.

[0062] In the banknote transport device according to this embodiment, the banknote 50 transported through the duct 120 passes through the first area 120a (after passing through the gun carry storage duct 130, the duct 120 is composed only of the first area 120a) and is discharged into the banknote passage 330 leading to the banknote storage chamber 140. The banknote 50 discharged into the banknote passage 330 advances through the banknote passage 330 due to the action of the inertial force caused by the transport up to that point, and is sandwiched between the belts 310C and 320C. Thereafter, the belt 310C rotates clockwise and the belt 320C rotates counterclockwise, and the bill 50 is sandwiched between the two belts 310C, 320C and transported toward the bill storage chamber 140, where it is stored. In the conventional paper sheet transport device, the second belt unit 320 is not provided, and the banknote 50 is transported to the banknote storage chamber 140 by only the first belt unit 310. When there is one banknote 50 to be transported, it is possible to transport it by only the first belt unit 310, but when there are multiple banknotes 50 to be transported, only the banknote 50 in contact with the belt 310C is transported, and the other banknotes 50 are sometimes left behind without being transported.

[0063] According to the banknote transport device of this embodiment, two belt units 310, 320 clamp multiple banknotes 50 from both sides, so that not a single banknote 50 is left behind and all of the banknotes 50 can be reliably transported to the banknote storage chamber 140. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 100 Conventional paper sheet transport device 110 Guns Carry 120 Duct 130 Guns Carry Storage Duct 140 Banknote Storage Room 125 Paper Stopper 126 Second Paper Stopper 127 Movable paper stopper 200 Formation Unit 220 Forming roller 310 First belt unit 320 Second Belt Unit

Claims

1. Duct and A paper sheet storage chamber is arranged at one end of the duct so as to communicate with the duct; A gun carrier capable of traveling within the duct; a first blower that generates an air flow in the duct in a direction toward the paper sheet storage chamber; a second blower that generates an air flow in the duct in a direction opposite to a direction toward the paper sheet storage chamber; a gun carry storage duct that branches off from the duct just before the paper sheet storage chamber and stores the gun carry; Equipped with the first blower causes the gun carrier to travel in the duct by the air flow generated in the duct, and the gun carrier transports the paper sheets inserted in the duct to the paper sheet storage chamber; The duct is composed of a first area through which only the paper sheets can pass and a second area through which the gun carrier can pass, The first area extends to the paper sheet storage chamber, In the paper sheet transport device, the second area branches off from the first area just before the paper sheet storage chamber and constitutes the gun carry storage duct, The first region of the duct has a pair of side walls extending parallel to a direction in which the duct extends, At least one of the pair of side walls is formed with a paper sheet stopper for stopping the running of the paper sheet, The paper sheet stopper stops paper sheets that are pushed by only the air flow from the first blower and allows paper sheets that are pushed by the gun carrier to pass through.

2. The paper sheet conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that the paper sheet stopper is shaped like a triangular prism and has a slope whose distance from one of the pair of side walls gradually increases in the direction in which the air flow generated by the first blower flows.

3. 2. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 1, wherein the height of the paper sheet stopper from one of the pair of side walls exceeds half the length between the one of the pair of side walls and the other of the pair of side walls.

4. 2. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 1, wherein the paper sheet stopper is provided in front of the gun carry storage duct.

5. The first region protrudes in an up-down direction from the second region, The paper sheet transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that the paper sheet stopper is formed in at least one of the first area protruding upward from the second area and the first area protruding downward from the second area.

6. The first region protrudes in an up-down direction from the second region, The paper sheet transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that the paper sheet stopper is formed on one of a pair of side walls of the first area protruding upward from the second area, and is formed on the other of the pair of side walls of the first area protruding downward from the second area.

7. a second paper sheet stopper having the same shape as the paper sheet stopper is formed on the other of the pair of side walls; 2. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 1, wherein the second paper sheet stopper is located downstream of the paper sheet stopper in a direction in which the airflow from the first blower flows.

8. The paper sheet transport device described in claim 7, characterized in that the second paper sheet stopper is shaped like a triangular prism and has a slope whose distance from the other of the pair of side walls gradually increases in the direction in which the air flow generated by the first blower flows.

9. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 7, characterized in that the height of the second paper sheet stopper from one of the pair of side walls exceeds half the length between the one of the pair of side walls and the other of the pair of side walls.

10. The paper feeder further includes a second paper sheet stopper located downstream of the paper sheet stopper in a direction in which the airflow from the first blower flows, 6. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 5, wherein the second paper sheet stopper has the same shape as the first paper sheet stopper.

11. a second paper sheet stopper having the same shape as the paper sheet stopper is formed on the other of the pair of side walls of the first area protruding upward from the second area and on one of the pair of side walls of the first area protruding downward from the second area; 7. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 6, wherein the second paper sheet stopper is located downstream of the paper sheet stopper in a direction in which the airflow from the first blower flows.

12. The paper stopper is made of a pair of plates, one of the pair of plate members extends obliquely from one of the pair of side walls toward a center line in a longitudinal direction of the first region in a downstream direction of the air flow generated by the first fan, and the other of the pair of plate members extends obliquely in the downstream direction from the other of the pair of side walls toward the center line, and tips of the pair of plate members are in contact on the center line, 2. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of plate members has a tip end biased toward the center line.

13. 13. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 12, wherein the pair of plate members are made of spring steel.

14. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 12, characterized in that the pair of plate materials have bent portions bent at acute angles, and the bent portions of each of the pair of plate materials overlap each other on the center line.

15. A paper sheet transport device as described in any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it is provided with a forming unit that applies a crease to the paper sheet extending in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the duct before the paper sheet is inserted into the duct.

16. The forming unit includes two rollers having axes perpendicular to the direction in which the duct extends and parallel to each other, The paper sheet transport device described in claim 15, characterized in that these two rollers have uneven surfaces, the convex part of one roller fits into the concave part of the other roller, and the paper sheet is sandwiched between these two rollers to impart the crease.

17. 17. The paper sheet transport device according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the two rollers is formed with at least one slit extending parallel to the axis.

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