Money handling device

Abstract

To achieve downsizing of the entire device.SOLUTION: There is provided a money handling device 1 in which a banknote processing unit 20 that, when a banknote is deposited through a banknote deposit portion 21, determines with a discrimination portion 27 whether or not the banknote is acceptable, stores the banknote determined to be acceptable in a banknote storage box 24 corresponding to a denomination, and, when a dispensing instruction is given, feeds the banknote from the corresponding banknote storage box 24, conveys it to a banknote dispensing portion 22, and dispenses it is stored in a device body 10 in such a manner that the banknote deposit portion 21 and the banknote dispensing portion 22 are exposed to the outside. The banknote processing unit 20 is configured such that an upper banknote processing constitution section 20a having the banknote deposit portion 21, the discrimination unit 27, and the banknote dispensing portion 22, and a lower banknote processing constitution section 20b having the banknote storage box 24 are integrated vertically. Under such a condition that an opening of the device body 10 is opened by a door body 12, the upper banknote processing constitution section 20a and the lower banknote processing constitution section 20b can be pulled out together vertically to the outside of the device body 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a money processing device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a money processing device having a bill processing unit inside the device main body has been proposed in Patent Document 1. This bill processing unit stores, in a bill storage bin corresponding to the denomination, a bill that has been discriminated as acceptable by the discrimination unit on the condition that the bill has been deposited through the bill deposit section, while on the condition that a withdrawal instruction has been given, the bill is fed out from the corresponding bill storage bin and withdrawn from the bill withdrawal section. This bill processing unit is housed in the device main body in such a manner that the bill deposit section and the bill withdrawal section are exposed to the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the bill processing unit of the above money processing device, a plurality of bill storage bins are arranged side by side along the front-rear direction on the rear side of the bill deposit section and the bill withdrawal section, and moreover, an inspection bin capable of temporarily holding bills is also provided between the foremost bill storage bin and the bill withdrawal section, so the depth dimension, which is the front-rear dimension, is excessive.

[0005] When the depth dimension of the bill processing unit becomes excessive in this way, the depth dimension of the device main body also becomes excessive, resulting in the enlargement of the device.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a money processing apparatus capable of reducing the size of the entire apparatus.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a money processing apparatus according to the present invention discriminates, by a discrimination unit, whether or not a bill is acceptable on condition that the bill is deposited through a bill depositing unit, and stores the bill discriminated as acceptable by the discrimination unit in a bill storage corresponding to the denomination of the bill. On the other hand, on condition that a withdrawal instruction is given, a bill is fed out from the corresponding bill storage and conveyed to a bill dispensing unit, and the money processing unit that dispenses a bill from the bill dispensing unit is a money processing apparatus in which the bill depositing unit and the bill dispensing unit are housed in a device main body in a manner of being exposed to the outside. The bill processing unit is configured such that an upper bill processing component having the bill depositing unit, the discrimination unit, and the bill dispensing unit and a lower bill processing component having the bill storage are integrally formed vertically, and on condition that an opening of the device main body is opened by a door body, the upper bill processing component and the lower bill processing component are integrally pullable outside the device main body, which is characterized in that.

[0008] Further, in the present invention, in the above money processing apparatus, the upper bill processing component has a scrutiny storage capable of temporarily holding bills stored in the bill storage in a manner closer to the bill dispensing unit than the bill storage on the conveyance path of the bills, which is characterized in that.

[0009] Further, in the present invention, in the above money processing apparatus, the lower bill processing component has a first bill storage for storing bills of a single denomination and a second bill storage for storing bills of a plurality of denominations other than the single denomination stored in the first bill storage, and on the conveyance path of the bills, the first bill storage is arranged upstream of the second bill storage, which is characterized in that.

[0010] Further, the present invention provides a money processing apparatus, wherein the banknote processing unit is provided so that one of the upper banknote processing component and the lower banknote processing component can swing in a manner of approaching and separating from the other, and on the condition that it is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus main body, one of them can swing in a manner of exposing a part of the conveyance path from the discrimination unit to the banknote storage in relation to the other.

[0011] Further, the present invention provides a money processing apparatus, wherein the lower banknote processing component is provided so as to be swingable in a manner of approaching and separating from the upper banknote processing component, and on the condition that it is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus main body, it can swing downward in a manner of exposing a part of the conveyance path from the discrimination unit to the banknote storage in relation to the upper banknote processing component.

[0012] Further, the present invention provides a money processing apparatus, wherein the banknote processing unit is provided with a regulating member for regulating the downward swing angle of the lower banknote processing component.

[0013] Further, the present invention provides a money processing apparatus, wherein the banknote storage in the lower banknote processing component of the banknote processing unit is arranged above a part of the banknote conveyance path, and on the condition that it is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus main body, it is provided with a lid that can swing downward in a manner of exposing a part of the conveyance path.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, an upper banknote processing component having a banknote deposit section, a discrimination section, and a banknote payout section, and a lower banknote processing component having a banknote storage are integrally configured vertically, and on the condition that an opening of the apparatus main body is opened by a door body, the upper banknote processing component and the lower banknote processing component can be pulled out integrally vertically to the outside of the apparatus main body. Therefore, the depth dimension of the banknote processing unit can be reduced, and thus the entire apparatus can be miniaturized. Moreover, since the upper banknote processing component and the lower banknote processing component can be pulled out integrally vertically, if only the wiring connecting the banknote processing unit and the apparatus main body is secured, the wiring structure can be simplified compared to making the upper banknote processing component and the lower banknote processing component pullable independently.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 6

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Figure 8

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Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12-1

Figure 12-2

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Figure 12-4

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of the money processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[0017] FIGS. 1 to 3 each show a money processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the external configuration, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing the external configuration.

[0018] The money processing apparatus 1 exemplified here is applied as an automatic change machine connected to a POS (Point Of Sales) register device A as a host device in a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store, and includes a device main body 10.

[0019] The device main body 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped housing having a front opening 10a at the front and a top opening 10b at the top, and is movable with a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of casters 11a provided on the bottom 11.

[0020] The main body 10 of the device has a front opening 10a that can be opened and closed by a door body 12, and a top surface opening 10b that can be opened and closed by a top plate portion 13.

[0021] The door body 12 includes a front cover 121 and a front door 122. The front cover 121 is pivotally supported around the central axis of a cover shaft portion 121a extending along the left - right direction on a part of a reinforcing metal 14 on the front side of the top surface opening 10b. By swinging upward, the front cover 121 opens the upper part of the front opening 10a, while by swinging downward, it closes the upper part of the front opening 10a.

[0022] The front door 122 is pivotally supported around the central axis of a door shaft portion 122a extending along the up - down direction at the front end portion of the left side edge of the device main body 10. By swinging forward, the front door 122 opens the lower part of the front opening 10a, that is, the part that cannot be closed by the front cover 121, while by swinging backward, it closes the lower part of the front opening 10a.

[0023] A locking mechanism 123 is provided on the front door 122. When the locking mechanism 123 is in the locked state, the front door 122 is held in the state of closing the lower part of the front opening 10a, while when the locking mechanism 123 is in the unlocked state, the front door 122 can swing forward.

[0024] Moreover, the front door 122 has a function of pressing a part of the front cover 121 in the closed state. When the locking mechanism 123 is in the locked state, the front cover 121 is held in the closed state.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, the top plate portion 13 is slidable in the front - rear direction. By sliding backward, it opens the top surface opening 10b, while by sliding forward, it closes the top surface opening 10b.

[0026] Inside such a device main body 10, as shown in FIG. 4, a bill processing unit 20 and a coin processing unit 40 are housed.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bill processing unit 20 is composed of an upper bill processing component 20a and a lower bill processing component 20b which are integrally formed vertically by a frame body 20c, and is housed in a unit storage part 20d installed at the upper left inside the device main body 10. Here, the unit storage part 20d is a box body having an opening on the front surface.

[0028] Such a bill processing unit 20 includes a bill transport mechanism 20e, a discrimination unit 27, and a determination unit 28. The bill transport mechanism 20e has a bill deposit part 21, a bill withdrawal part 22, a bill collection bin 23, a bill storage bin 24, and an inspection bin 25, and these are connected by a transport path 26.

[0029] The bill deposit part 21 is disposed at the upper front part in the upper bill processing component 20a. This bill deposit part 21 has a bill deposit opening 21a and is for introducing the bills inserted through the bill deposit opening 21a into the unit. Such a bill deposit opening 21a is exposed to the outside through a bill deposit opening 121b formed in the front cover 121.

[0030] The bill withdrawal part 22 is disposed below the bill deposit part 21 in the upper bill processing component 20a. This bill withdrawal part 22 has a bill withdrawal opening 22a and is for feeding out bills to the bill withdrawal opening 22a. This bill withdrawal opening 22a is opened and closed by a bill withdrawal door 22b and is exposed to the outside through a bill withdrawal opening 121c formed in the front cover 121.

[0031] The bill collection bin 23 is disposed below the bill withdrawal part 22 in the upper bill processing component 20a and is for accommodating bills when collecting the bills.

[0032] The bill storage 24 is disposed in the lower bill processing component 20b and has a thousand-yen storage (first bill storage) 241 and a mixed storage (second bill storage) 242. The thousand-yen storage 241 stores frequently used thousand-yen bills (bills of a single denomination). The mixed storage 242 stores bills other than thousand-yen bills, that is, two-thousand-yen bills, five-thousand-yen bills, and ten-thousand-yen bills in a mixed manner.

[0033] The inspection storage 25 is disposed behind the bill dispensing unit 22 and the bill collection storage 23 in the upper bill processing component 20a. This inspection storage 25 is used as a temporary storage during inspection operations and the like.

[0034] The discrimination unit 27 is disposed in the conveyance path 26 on the rear side of the bill deposit unit 21 in the upper bill processing component 20a. This discrimination unit 27 discriminates the authenticity and denomination of the passing bills.

[0035] The determination unit 28 is disposed in the conveyance path 26 between the inspection storage 25 and the thousand-yen storage 241 in the lower bill processing component 20b. This determination unit 28 determines the denomination of the bills.

[0036] In the above bill processing unit 20, the upper bill processing component 20a has a bill deposit unit 21, a bill dispensing unit 22, a bill collection storage 23, an inspection storage 25, and a discrimination unit 27, and the lower bill processing component 20b has a bill storage 24 (thousand-yen storage 241 and mixed storage 242) and a determination unit 28.

[0037] Incidentally, a conventionally known pusher mechanism is provided inside the bill storage 24 and the inspection storage 25. When the pusher mechanisms 241a and 242a (see Fig. 8) of the bill storage 24 are in the storage posture where bills can be received, the pusher mechanism 25a (see Fig. 8) of the inspection storage 25 is in the delivery posture where bills can be delivered. On the other hand, when the pusher mechanisms 241a and 242a of the bill storage 24 are in the delivery posture, the pusher mechanism 25a of the inspection storage 25 is in the storage posture. As described above, since the bill storage 24 is disposed in the lower bill processing component 20b and the inspection storage 25 is disposed in the upper bill processing component 20a, in the bill processing unit 20, an actuator 29 for driving the pusher mechanism 25a of the inspection storage 25 is provided in the upper bill processing component 20a, and an actuator 30 for driving the pusher mechanism 25a of the bill storage 24 is provided in the lower bill processing component 20b. That is, in the bill processing unit 20, actuators 29 and 30 are provided for each of the bill collection bin 23 and the inspection storage 25, and the driving of these actuators 29 and 30 is synchronized.

[0038] The operation of such a bill processing unit 20 will be briefly described. First, the depositing operation will be described.

[0039] When a bill is deposited into the bill deposit slot 21a, the bill is conveyed by the bill conveying mechanism 20e to the discrimination unit 27. Here, when the bill is jammed during the conveyance by the bill conveying mechanism 20e, the bill is once returned to the bill deposit slot 21a via the bill depositing unit 21.

[0040] Bills discriminated by the discrimination unit 27 as not being genuine are conveyed by the bill conveying mechanism 20e to the bill paying unit 22 and paid out from the bill paying slot 22a. On the other hand, bills discriminated by the discrimination unit 27 as being genuine are conveyed by the bill conveying mechanism 20e and stored in the thousand-yen storage 241 or the mixed storage 242 according to the denomination.

[0041] Next, the withdrawal operation will be described. When a withdrawal instruction is given, the bill transport mechanism 20e feeds out bills of the denomination corresponding to the withdrawal instruction from the thousand-yen storage 241 or the mixed storage 242 to which they correspond, transports them to the bill withdrawal unit 22, and withdraws them from the bill withdrawal opening 22a.

[0042] Furthermore, the inspection operation will be described. Here, the case of performing an inspection operation on the thousand-yen bills stored in the thousand-yen storage 241 will be described.

[0043] The bill transport mechanism 20e feeds out the thousand-yen bills stored in the thousand-yen storage 241 onto the transport path 26 and transports them rearward. During the transport, the discrimination unit 28 discriminates the denomination and number of the thousand-yen bills, and the discriminated thousand-yen bills are stored in the inspection storage 25. As a result, the number of thousand-yen bills can be measured and the number can be determined. After the thousand-yen bills are stored in the inspection storage 25, the bill transport mechanism 20e feeds out the thousand-yen bills temporarily held in the inspection storage 25 onto the transport path 26 and stores them in the original thousand-yen storage 241.

[0044] As described above, in the bill processing unit 20, the inspection storage 25 is arranged in a manner closer to the bill withdrawal unit 22 than the bill storage 24 on the bill transport path 26, and the thousand-yen storage 241 is arranged upstream of the mixed storage 242 on the bill transport path 26.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4, the coin processing unit 40 has a coin deposit unit 41, a temporary storage unit 42, a coin sorting unit 43, a coin storage 44, a withdrawal transport unit 45, and a coin transport unit 46.

[0046] The coin deposit unit 41 has a coin deposit opening 41a and takes in the coins deposited through the coin deposit opening 41a. A coin inspection unit (not shown) is provided. The coin inspection unit discriminates the authenticity and denomination of the coins. This coin deposit opening 41a is provided at substantially the same height position as the bill deposit opening 21a and is exposed to the outside through a coin deposit opening 121e formed in the front cover 121.

[0047] The temporary storage unit 42 is disposed on the rear side of the coin depositing unit 41 and temporarily stores the coins determined to be genuine coins at the coin inspection unit. The coin sorting unit 43 communicates with the temporary storage unit 42 via a chute 47 and is provided below the temporary storage unit 42. This coin sorting unit 43 sorts the coins that have fallen by the chute 47 after being stored in the temporary storage unit 42 according to the denominations of the coins.

[0048] The coin storage 44 is disposed below the unit storage section 20d in the apparatus main body 10. This coin storage 44 is provided for each denomination of coin and stores the coins sorted by the coin sorting unit 43. Each coin storage 44 stores the inserted coins separately by denomination. Also, each coin storage 44 has a function of dispensing the stored commodities.

[0049] The coin dispensing conveyor 45 is provided on the right side of the coin storage 44 and conveys the coins dispensed from each coin storage 44 rearward.

[0050] The coin conveyor 46 is disposed in the right region (lateral region) of the unit storage section 20d. This coin conveyor 46 introduces the coins dispensed from the coin storage 44 and conveyed rearward by the coin dispensing conveyor 45, conveys them upward to the front side, and conveys them to the coin dispensing section 48. The coin dispensing section 48 has a coin dispensing opening 48a for dispensing coins at the coin dispensing opening 48a. This coin dispensing opening 48a is provided at substantially the same height position as the banknote dispensing opening 22a and is exposed to the outside through a coin dispensing opening (not shown) formed in the front cover 121.

[0051] The operation of such a coin processing unit 40 will be briefly described. First, the depositing operation will be described.

[0052] When coins are deposited into the coin deposit slot 41a, the authenticity and denomination of the coins are determined at the coin inspection section of the coin deposit section 41. Genuine coins are temporarily held in the temporary holding section 42. On the other hand, non-genuine coins are conveyed to the coin payout section 48 through a predetermined path and paid out from the coin payout slot 48a to the payout tray 121f formed on the front cover 121.

[0053] After that, the coins held in the temporary holding section 42 fall into the coin sorting section 43 via the shooter 47, and are sorted by denomination at the coin sorting section 43. Then, the coins sorted by the coin sorting section 43 are stored in the coin storage 44 according to the denomination.

[0054] Next, the payout operation will be described. When a payout command is given, coins of the denomination corresponding to the payout command are dispensed from the corresponding coin storage 44 and conveyed rearward by the payout conveyance section 45. The coins conveyed rearward by the payout conveyance section 45 are conveyed to the coin payout section 48 by the coin conveyance section 46 and paid out from the coin payout slot 48a to the payout tray 121f.

[0055] In such a money processing apparatus 1, the banknote processing unit 20 and the coin processing unit 40 are housed in the apparatus main body 10 in a state where the banknote deposit section 21 and the coin deposit section 41 are disposed at substantially the same height position and partially overlap each other vertically. More specifically, the coin conveyance section 46 constituting the coin processing unit 40 is disposed in the side region of the banknote processing unit 20, and the banknote processing unit 20 is disposed above the coin processing unit 40 and housed in the apparatus main body 10.

[0056] Also, in the money processing apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 7, the banknote processing unit 20 can be pulled out of the apparatus main body 10 by sliding the upper banknote processing component 20a and the lower banknote processing component 20b integrally forward by a slide mechanism 31 interposed between the frame body 20c and the unit storage section 20d when the door body 12 (front cover 121 and front surface) opens the front opening 10a.

[0057] In the banknote processing unit 20, a first shaft portion 32 is pivotally supported by a frame body 20c such that a lower banknote processing component 20b can swing in a manner of approaching and separating from an upper banknote processing component 20a. Thus, in a state where the banknote processing unit 20 is pulled out of the apparatus main body 10, by disengaging a locking portion 33 of the lower banknote processing component 20b from a non-illustrated locked portion of the upper banknote processing component 20a, the lower banknote processing component 20b swings downward. When the lower banknote processing component 20b swings downward in this way, a part of the conveyance path 26 in the lower banknote processing component 20b, that is, a part of the conveyance path 26 from the discrimination unit 27 to the banknote storage 24, is exposed.

[0058] Regulation pins 34 provided on both left and right side plates of the lower banknote processing component 20b are inserted into elongated holes 35a formed at the tip ends of an elongated regulation member 35 whose base end portion is rotatably supported with respect to the frame body 20c. The rotation range of this regulation member 35 is regulated within a predetermined range, and when the regulation pins 34 contact the tip edge portions of the elongated holes 35a, the downward swinging of the lower banknote processing component 20b is regulated. That is, the banknote processing unit 20 includes a regulation member 35 that regulates the downward swinging angle of the lower banknote processing component 20b.

[0059] Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 8, a tension spring 36 is interposed between a part of the lower banknote processing component 20b and a part of the frame body 20c, and the elastic restoring force of such a tension spring 36 regulates the momentum of the downward swinging of the lower banknote processing component 20b, so that the tension spring 36 functions as a damper.

[0060] Further, a rear end portion 37 of the upper banknote processing component 20a is provided so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction by pivotally supporting a second shaft portion 37a whose lower end portion extends along the left-right direction by the frame body 20c. As shown in FIG. 9, when the rear end portion 37 of the upper banknote processing component 20a swings rearward, a part of the conveyance path 26 extending along the vertical direction inside the upper banknote processing component 20a, that is, a part of the conveyance path 26 from the discrimination unit 27 to the determination unit 28, is exposed.

[0061] As described above, according to the money processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the bill processing unit 20 and the coin processing unit 40 are arranged such that the bill depositing section 21 and the coin depositing section 41 are disposed at substantially the same height position, and the coin conveying section 46 that constitutes the coin processing unit 40 is arranged in the lateral area of the bill processing unit 20 while the bill processing unit 20 is disposed above the coin processing unit 40. As a result, they are housed in the apparatus main body 10 such that a part of them overlaps vertically with each other, so that the reduction of the occupied area can be achieved.

[0062] According to the money processing apparatus 1, the apparatus main body 10 has a top surface opening 10b formed in the top portion, and a top plate section 13 for opening and closing the top surface opening 10b is provided. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the POS register apparatus A, which is a host device, can be placed on the apparatus main body 10 with the top surface opening 10b opened, eliminating the need to create a dedicated housing for the POS register apparatus A, and improving convenience.

[0063] According to the money processing apparatus 1, the bill processing unit 20 is configured such that an upper bill processing component 20a having a bill depositing section 21, a discrimination section 27, and a bill paying-out section 22, and a lower bill processing component 20b having a bill storage 24 are integrally formed vertically. And on the condition that the front opening 10a of the apparatus main body 10 is opened by a door body 12 (front cover 121 and front door 122), the upper bill processing component 20a and the lower bill processing component 20b can be pulled out integrally vertically to the outside of the apparatus main body 10. Therefore, the depth dimension of the bill processing unit 20 can be reduced, and thereby the miniaturization of the entire apparatus can be achieved. Moreover, since the upper bill processing component 20a and the lower bill processing component 20b can be pulled out integrally vertically, if only the wiring connecting the bill processing unit 20 and the apparatus main body 10 is ensured, the wiring structure can be simplified compared to making the upper bill processing component 20a and the lower bill processing component 20b pullable independently.

[0064] Also, according to the money processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the lower banknote processing component 20b is provided on the frame body 20c so as to be swingable in a manner of approaching and separating from the upper banknote processing component 20a, and on the condition that it is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus main body 10, it can swing downward in a manner that a part of the conveyance path 26 from the discrimination unit 27 to the banknote storage 24 is exposed with respect to the upper banknote processing component 20a. Therefore, it is possible to easily take out the banknotes remaining in the conveyance path 26, particularly the banknotes remaining at the joint portion between the upper banknote processing component 20a and the lower banknote processing component 20b, and it is possible to suppress damage to the banknotes.

[0065] Furthermore, according to the money processing apparatus 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, on the condition that the rear end portion 37 of the upper banknote processing component 20a is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus main body 10, by swinging backward, a part of the conveyance path 26 extending along the vertical direction inside the upper banknote processing component 20a, that is, a part of the conveyance path 26 from the discrimination unit 27 to the discrimination unit 28 is exposed. Therefore, also by this, it is possible to easily take out the banknotes remaining in the conveyance path 26, particularly the banknotes remaining at the joint portion between the upper banknote processing component 20a and the lower banknote processing component 20b, and it is possible to suppress damage to the banknotes.

[0066] Moreover, according to the money processing apparatus 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, since the restricting member 35 restricts the downward swing angle of the lower banknote processing component 20b, it is possible to prevent the lower banknote processing component 20b from swinging downward more than necessary.

[0067] Also, according to the above money processing apparatus 1, the inspection storage 25 capable of temporarily retaining the banknotes stored in the banknote storage 24 is disposed in the upper banknote processing component 20a in a manner closer to the banknote dispensing unit 22 than the banknote storage 24 on the banknote conveyance path 26. Therefore, the inspection operation can be performed well.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned money processing apparatus 1, in the lower banknote processing component 20b, since the thousand-yen storage 241 is arranged upstream of the mixed storage 242 on the banknote conveyance path 26, it is possible to shorten the withdrawal operation time of the thousand-yen banknotes with a large number of withdrawal sheets.

[0069] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made.

[0070] In the above-described embodiment, a part of the coin processing unit 40 is arranged below the banknote processing unit 20 and is disposed in the apparatus main body 10 so as to partially overlap the banknote processing unit 20 vertically. However, in the present invention, if a state is ensured in which the banknote deposit section and the coin deposit section are arranged at substantially the same height position, a part of the coin processing unit may be arranged above the banknote processing unit and disposed in the apparatus main body so as to partially overlap the banknote processing unit vertically. Also by this, it is possible to reduce the occupied area.

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, the top plate portion 13 slides backward to open the top surface opening 10b to enable the placement of the POS register device A. However, in the present invention, the top plate portion may be detachably arranged with respect to the apparatus main body, the top plate portion may be removed to open the top surface opening, and the POS register device may be placed. Also, after sliding the top plate portion backward, it may be swung downward.

[0072] In the above-described embodiment, the lower banknote processing component 20b is provided on the frame body 20c so as to be swingable in a manner of approaching and separating from the upper banknote processing component 20a. However, in the present invention, the upper banknote processing component may be provided on the frame body so as to be swingable in a manner of approaching and separating from the lower banknote processing component, or the upper banknote processing component and the lower banknote processing component may be swingably provided on the frame body in a manner of approaching and separating from each other.

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, actuators 29 and 30 are provided in each of the banknote collection box 23 and the inspection box 25, and the driving of these actuators 29 and 30 is synchronized. However, the present invention may also be as follows.

[0074] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the drive mechanism of the pusher mechanisms 241a, 242a, and 25a in the banknote storage box 24 and the inspection box 25. The same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will be described.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 10, the actuators 50 of the pusher mechanisms 241a, 242a of the banknote storage box 24 (the 1000-yen storage box 241 and the mixed box 242) and the pusher mechanism 25a of the inspection box 25 may be made common. In FIG. 10, the pusher mechanism 241a of the 1000-yen storage box 241 and the pusher mechanism 242a of the mixed box 242 are connected to each other by a connecting plate 51, and this connecting plate 51 is linked to the actuator 50. Further, the pusher mechanism 25a of the inspection box 25 is connected to a guide plate 52, and this guide plate 52 is linked to the actuator 50. Torque limiters 53a and 53b that idle when a load equal to or greater than the rated torque acts are provided between the connecting plate 51 and the actuator 50, and between the guide plate 52 and the actuator 50, respectively.

[0076] The connecting plate 51 is slidable in the front-rear direction between a first stopper 541 on the front side and a second stopper 542 on the rear side. When the connecting plate 51 abuts against the first stopper 541, the pusher mechanisms 241a, 242a of the banknote storage box 24 are in the storage posture, and when the connecting plate 51 abuts against the second stopper 542, the pusher mechanisms 241a, 242a of the banknote storage box 24 are in the delivery posture. The guide plate 52 is slidable in the front-rear direction between a third stopper 543 on the front side and a fourth stopper 544 on the rear side. When the guide plate 52 abuts against the third stopper 543, the pusher mechanism 25a of the inspection box 25 is in the storage posture, and when the guide plate 52 abuts against the fourth stopper 544, the pusher mechanism 25a of the inspection box 25 is in the delivery posture.

[0077] When the connecting plate 51 abuts against the first stopper 541, the guide plate 52 abuts against the fourth stopper 544. When the actuator 50 is rotationally driven in one direction, the connecting plate 51 slides rearward toward the second stopper 542 while the guide plate 52 slides forward toward the third stopper 543. When the connecting plate 51 abuts against the second stopper 542, the guide plate 52 abuts against the third stopper 543. On the other hand, when the actuator 50 is rotationally driven in the other direction, the connecting plate 51 slides forward toward the first stopper 541 while the guide plate 52 slides rearward toward the fourth stopper 544. When the connecting plate 51 abuts against the first stopper 541, the guide plate 52 abuts against the fourth stopper 544.

[0078] After pulling out the banknote processing unit 20 to the outside of the entire apparatus and then swinging the lower banknote processing component 20b downward, even if the linkage between the connecting plate 51 (the pusher mechanisms 241a and 242a of the banknote storage 24) and the actuator 50 is disconnected, the lower banknote processing component 20b can be swung upward to lock the locking portion 33 to the locked portion, to link the connecting plate 51 and the actuator 50, and after housing the banknote processing unit 20 in the apparatus main body 10, adjustment can be made as follows.

[0079] That is, the actuator 50 is rotationally driven in the other direction until the connecting plate 51 abuts against the first stopper 541. In this case, even if the guide plate 52 has already abutted against the fourth stopper 544, it is possible to prevent an excessive load from acting on the actuator 50 due to the idling of the torque limiter 53b. Then, the rotational drive of the actuator 50 can be stopped at the timing when the connecting plate 51 abuts against the first stopper 541 and the guide plate 52 abuts against the fourth stopper 544, so as to return to the initial state.

[0080] The above-described banknote processing unit 20 is provided such that the lower banknote processing component 20b can swing in a manner of approaching and separating from the upper banknote processing component 20a, and on the condition that it is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus main body 10, the lower banknote processing component 20b swings downward. However, in the present invention, the following configuration can be adopted.

[0081] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a modified example of the banknote processing unit shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 11, the banknote processing unit 60 is configured such that an upper banknote processing component 60a and a lower banknote processing component 60b are integrally formed vertically and is stored in the unit storage section 20d.

[0082] Such a banknote processing unit 60 includes a banknote conveyance mechanism 60e, a discrimination section 67, and a determination section 68. The banknote conveyance mechanism 60e includes a banknote deposit section 61, a banknote withdrawal section 62, a banknote collection bin 63, a banknote storage bin 64, and an inspection bin 65, and these are connected by a conveyance path 66.

[0083] The banknote deposit section 61 is disposed at the upper front part in the upper banknote processing component 60a. This banknote deposit section 61 has a banknote deposit opening 61a and is for introducing the banknotes inserted through the banknote deposit opening 61a into the unit. Such a banknote deposit opening 61a is exposed to the outside through a banknote deposit opening 121b formed in the front cover 121.

[0084] The banknote withdrawal section 62 is disposed below the banknote deposit section 61 in the upper banknote processing component 60a. This banknote withdrawal section 62 has a banknote withdrawal opening 62a and is for feeding out banknotes to the banknote withdrawal opening 62a. This banknote withdrawal opening 62a is opened and closed by a banknote withdrawal door 62b and is exposed to the outside through a banknote withdrawal opening 121c formed in the front cover 121.

[0085] The banknote collection bin 63 is disposed below the banknote withdrawal section 62 in the upper banknote processing component 60a and is for accommodating banknotes when collecting the banknotes.

[0086] The bill storage 64 is arranged in the lower bill processing component 60b and has a thousand-yen storage (the first bill storage) 641 and a mixed storage (the second bill storage) 642. The thousand-yen storage 641 stores thousand-yen bills (bills of a single denomination) with high usage frequency. The mixed storage 642 stores bills other than thousand-yen bills, that is, two-thousand-yen bills, five-thousand-yen bills, and ten-thousand-yen bills in a mixed manner.

[0087] The inspection storage 65 is arranged on the rear side of the bill dispensing section 62 and the bill collection storage 63 in the upper bill processing component 60a. This inspection storage 65 is used as a temporary storage during inspection operations and the like.

[0088] The discrimination section 67 is arranged on the conveyance path 66 on the rear side of the bill depositing section 61 in the upper bill processing component 60a. This discrimination section 67 discriminates the authenticity and denomination of the passing bills.

[0089] The determination section 68 is arranged on the conveyance path 66 between the inspection storage 65 and the thousand-yen storage 641 in the lower bill processing component 60b. This determination section 68 determines the denomination of the bills.

[0090] In the above bill processing unit 60, the upper bill processing component 60a has a bill depositing section 61, a bill dispensing section 62, a bill collection storage 63, an inspection storage 65, and a discrimination section 67, and the lower bill processing component 60b has a bill storage 64 (the thousand-yen storage 641 and the mixed storage 642) and a determination section 68.

[0091] And in the lower bill processing component 60b, the bill storage 64 is arranged above the conveyance path 66. That is, the conveyance path 66 in the lower bill processing component 60b extends downward from the conveyance path 66 of the upper bill processing component 60a and then extends forward, and the bill storage 64 is arranged above the conveyance path 66 extending forward. Although not shown in the figure, a conventionally known pusher mechanism is provided inside the bill storage 64 and the inspection storage 65.

[0092] In the above-described banknote processing unit 60, a lower lid 71 and a rear lid 72 are provided. The lower lid 71 is provided on the lower side of the lower banknote processing component 60b, and the rear end portion is pivotally supported so as to be swingable in the vertical direction around the central axis of a lower shaft portion 71a extending along the left-right direction. When the banknote processing unit 60 is pulled out of the apparatus main body 10, this lower lid 71 swings downward to expose a part of a conveyance path 66 extending along the front-rear direction in the lower banknote processing component 60b, that is, the conveyance path 66 disposed below the banknote storage 64.

[0093] The rear lid 72 is provided on the rear side of the upper banknote processing component 60a and the lower banknote processing component 60b, and the lower end portion is pivotally supported so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction around the central axis of a rear shaft portion 72a extending along the left-right direction. When the banknote processing unit 60 is pulled out of the apparatus main body 10, this rear lid 72 swings rearward to expose a part of the conveyance path 66 extending along the vertical direction in the upper banknote processing unit and the lower banknote processing component 60b.

[0094] The operation of such a banknote processing unit 60 will be briefly described. First, the depositing operation will be described.

[0095] When banknotes are deposited into the banknote depositing port 61a, the banknotes are conveyed by a banknote conveying mechanism 60e to a discrimination unit 67. Here, when the banknotes are jammed during the conveyance by the banknote conveying mechanism 60e, the banknotes are once returned to the banknote depositing port 61a via the banknote depositing section 61.

[0096] Banknotes discriminated by the discrimination unit 67 as not being genuine are conveyed by the banknote conveying mechanism 60e to the banknote paying-out section 62 and paid out from the banknote paying-out port 62a. On the other hand, banknotes discriminated by the discrimination unit 67 as being genuine are stored in a thousand-yen storage 641 or a mixed storage 642 by the banknote conveying mechanism 60e according to the denomination.

[0097] In the banknote storage 64, as shown in Fig. 12-1, the guiding roller 64a provided near the entrance of the banknote storage 64 rotates clockwise when viewed from the right, and the vane roller 64b provided near the entrance rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the right. As a result, as shown in Fig. 12-2, the banknotes conveyed through the conveyance path 66 pass through the entrance. Then, as shown in Fig. 12-3, the banknotes that have passed through the entrance flow into the interior of the banknote storage 64, and due to the rotation of the vane roller 64b, they assume an inclined posture that gradually inclines rearward as they go upward, as shown in Fig. 12-4, allowing the inflow of the next banknotes to be conveyed. After the banknotes conveyed through the conveyance path 66 in this way flow into the interior of the banknote storage 64, they are stored in the banknote storage 64 by the operation of the pusher mechanism.

[0098] Next, the withdrawal operation will be described. When a withdrawal command is given, the banknote conveyance mechanism 60e feeds out banknotes of the denomination corresponding to the withdrawal command from the corresponding 1000-yen storage 641 or the mixed storage 642, conveys them to the banknote withdrawal unit 62, and withdraws them from the banknote withdrawal opening 62a.

[0099] Furthermore, the inspection operation will be described. Here, the case of performing an inspection operation on the 1000-yen banknotes stored in the 1000-yen storage 641 will be described.

[0100] The banknote conveyance mechanism 60e feeds out the 1000-yen banknotes stored in the 1000-yen storage 641 onto the conveyance path 66 and conveys them rearward. During the conveyance, the discrimination unit 68 discriminates the denomination and number of the 1000-yen banknotes, and the discriminated 1000-yen banknotes are stored in the inspection storage 65. As a result, the number of 1000-yen banknotes can be measured and the number can be determined. After the 1000-yen banknotes are stored in the inspection storage 65, the banknote conveyance mechanism 60e feeds out the 1000-yen banknotes temporarily held in the inspection storage 65 onto the conveyance path 66 and stores them in the original 1000-yen storage 641.

[0101] In the banknote processing unit 60 as described above, the inspection bin 65 is arranged in a manner that is closer to the banknote dispensing section 62 than the banknote storage bin 64 on the banknote conveyance path 66, and the 1000-yen storage bin 641 is arranged upstream of the mixed bin 642 on the banknote conveyance path 66.

[0102] According to the money processing apparatus provided with such a banknote processing unit 60, the banknote storage bin 64 in the lower banknote processing component 60b is arranged above a part of the banknote conveyance path 66. On the condition that it is pulled out of the apparatus main body 10, the lower lid 71 can swing downward in a manner that a part of the conveyance path 66 is exposed. Therefore, by simply swinging the relatively lightweight lower lid 71, the banknotes remaining in the conveyance path 66 can be easily taken out, and damage to the banknotes can be suppressed.

[0103] Also, according to the money processing apparatus, on the condition that the rear lid 72 is pulled out of the apparatus main body 10, by swinging rearward, a part of the conveyance path 66 extending along the vertical direction in the upper banknote processing section and the lower banknote processing component 60b is exposed. Therefore, by simply swinging the relatively lightweight rear lid 72, the banknotes remaining in the conveyance path 66 can be easily taken out, and damage to the banknotes can be suppressed.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0104] 1…Money processing device, 10…Device main body, 10a…Front opening, 10b…Top surface opening, 12…Door body, 121…Front cover, 121b…Paper currency deposit opening, 121c…Paper currency withdrawal opening, 121e…Coin deposit opening, 122…Front door, 13…Top plate part, 20…Paper currency processing unit, 20a…Upper paper currency processing component part, 20b…Lower paper currency processing component part, 20c…Frame body, 20d…Unit storage part, 20e…Paper currency conveying mechanism, 21…Paper currency deposit part, 21a…Paper currency deposit port, 22…Paper currency withdrawal part, 22a…Paper currency withdrawal port, 23…Paper currency recycling bin, 24…Paper currency storage bin, 241…1000-yen storage bin, 242…Mixed bin, 25…Inspection bin, 26…Conveying path, 27…Discrimination part, 28…Judgment part, 31…Slide mechanism, 32…First shaft-like part, 33…Locking part, 34…Regulating pin, 35…Regulating member, 36…Tension spring, 40…Coin processing unit, 41…Coin deposit part, 41a…Coin deposit port, 42…Temporary holding part, 43…Coin vibrating part, 44…Coin storage bin, 45…Withdrawal conveying part, 46…Coin conveying part, 48…Coin withdrawal part, 48a…Coin withdrawal port, A…POS register device.

Claims

Claim 1 A money processing apparatus, comprising a bill processing unit that discriminates whether a bill is acceptable or not by a discrimination unit on condition that the bill is deposited through a bill deposit unit, stores the bill discriminated as acceptable by the discrimination unit in a bill storage bin corresponding to the denomination of the bill, and on condition that a withdrawal instruction is given, delivers the bill from the corresponding bill storage bin, conveys it to a bill withdrawal unit, and withdraws the bill from the bill withdrawal unit, wherein the bill deposit unit and the bill withdrawal unit are stored in a device main body in a manner that they are exposed to the outside, wherein the bill processing unit comprises an upper bill processing component having the bill deposit unit, the discrimination unit, and the bill withdrawal unit, and a lower bill processing component having the bill storage bin, wherein the upper bill processing component and the lower bill processing component are integrally formed up and down, and on condition that an opening of the device main body is opened by a door body, the upper bill processing component and the lower bill processing component can be pulled out integrally up and down to the outside of the device main body. Claim 2 The money processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper bill processing component has a scrutiny bin capable of temporarily holding the bills stored in the bill storage bin in a manner that it is closer to the bill withdrawal unit than the bill storage bin on the conveyance path of the bills. Claim 3 The money processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lower bill processing component has a first bill storage bin for storing bills of a single denomination and a second bill storage bin for storing bills of a plurality of denominations other than the single denomination stored in the first bill storage bin, and the first bill storage bin is arranged upstream of the second bill storage bin on the conveyance path of the bills. Claim 4 The money processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bill processing unit is provided so that one of the upper bill processing component and the lower bill processing component can swing in a manner of approaching and separating from the other, and on condition that it is pulled out to the outside of the device main body, one can swing relative to the other in a manner that a part of the conveyance path from the discrimination unit to the bill storage bin is exposed. Claim 5 The lower banknote processing component is provided so as to be swingable in a manner of approaching and separating from the upper banknote processing component, and on the condition that it is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus main body, it is swingable downward with a part of the conveyance path from the discrimination unit to the banknote storage being exposed to the upper banknote processing component. The money processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. The banknote processing unit is provided with a regulating member for regulating the downward swing angle of the lower banknote processing component. The money processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. In the banknote processing unit, the banknote storage in the lower banknote processing component is arranged above a part of the banknote conveyance path, and on the condition that it is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus main body, it is provided with a lid that is swingable downward with a part of the conveyance path being exposed. The money processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

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