Locking omission preventing device of protection box for fully automatic safe-deposit box system

Abstract

To prevent omission of locking a protection box at a low cost.SOLUTION: A locking omission preventing device of the protection box for a fully automatic safe-deposit box system comprises: a latch detection unit 50 provided in a booth unit, which detects a position of a latch of a dial lock that locks a lid of the protection box in a closed state; and a control unit 111 that determines a locked / unlocked state of the dial lock based on a detection result of the position of the latch by the latch detection unit 50, and prevents a return action of the protection box when the dial lock is determined to be in the unlocked state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device for preventing users from forgetting to lock a protective box for a fully automated safe deposit box system installed in various financial institutions, etc., and in particular to the technical field of a structure in which a user locks a protective box with a combination lock. [Background technology]

[0002] A fully automated safe deposit box system includes a protective box prepared for each user, a safe deposit box room that stores a large number of protective boxes, a transport mechanism that transports the protective box in the safe deposit box room to the user's booth, and a protective box access port installed in the booth. When a user performs a predetermined call operation in the booth, the transport mechanism transports the user's protective box to the protective box access port in the booth. Once the protective box has been transported to the protective box access port, the door of the protective box access port is opened, allowing the user to use the protective box through the protective box access port. After the user opens the protective box and completes their business, they close the protective box and then close the door of the protective box access port, and the protective box is then transported by the transport mechanism to a predetermined location in the safe deposit box room and stored there.

[0003] A combination lock may be provided to prevent unauthorized use of the protective box by a third party (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which, when the operation knob of the combination lock is in the unlocked state, a shaft protrudes upward from the protective box and contacts the door that is about to be closed, thereby physically preventing the door from closing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6386647 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, as in Patent Document 1, by providing a shaft in the protective box that is linked to the dial lock operating knob, the door will not close when the dial lock is in the unlocked state, eliminating the risk of forgetting to lock it.

[0006] However, because operation knobs are generally rotational components, while shafts move up and down, the protective box of Patent Document 1 must also be provided with a conversion mechanism that converts rotational movement into forward and backward movement, along with the shaft, increasing the number of parts in the protective box.In particular, because a safe deposit box needs to be equipped with multiple protective boxes, it is necessary to provide a shaft and conversion mechanism in every protective box, which results in an increase in the cost of the entire safe deposit box system.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to provide the protective box with a retractable shaft and conversion mechanism, part of the internal space of the protective box is used, which reduces the usable internal volume of the protective box and requires the protective box to be made larger, which also results in increased costs.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and its object is to make it possible to prevent a protective box from being left locked at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present disclosure can be premised on a locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system. The locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system is provided in booth equipment of the fully automatic safe deposit box system and includes a latch detection unit that detects the position of a latch of a combination lock that locks the lid of the protective box in a closed state, and a control unit that determines whether the combination lock is locked or unlocked based on the detection result of the latch position by the latch detection unit, and prevents the protective box from being returned if it is determined that the combination lock is unlocked.

[0010] According to this configuration, a user of the fully automatic safe deposit box system can operate the dial lock of the protective box to unlock and lock the lid, so that the user can use the protective box without carrying a key, improving convenience.

[0011] Furthermore, it is possible to determine whether the hasp of the dial lock is in the locked position or the unlocked position based on the detection result of the hasp detection unit. If the user does not lock the dial lock when returning the protective box, the control unit determines that the dial lock is open based on the detection result of the hasp detection unit. By not performing the protective box return operation when the dial lock is determined to be open, the user can easily notice that the dial lock of the protective box is unlocked and can be encouraged to lock the dial lock.

[0012] Since the latch detector is provided in the booth equipment, there is no need to provide a latch detector for each safe deposit box, so the cost of the entire safe deposit box system can be reduced even if there are a large number of safe deposit boxes. Also, since the latch detector is provided in the booth equipment rather than the safe deposit box, it is possible to ensure a large internal volume for each safe deposit box.

[0013] The booth equipment may be formed with a protective box access port through which the protective box is housed.

[0014] The locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automated safe deposit box system may further include a door open / close detection unit that detects the open / close state of a door at the access point of the protective box in order to indirectly detect the open / close state of the lid of the protective box. In this case, the control unit can prevent the protective box from being returned when the door open / close detection unit determines that the door is open, and can allow the protective box to be returned when the door open / close detection unit determines that the door is closed and the latch detection unit determines that the dial lock is locked.

[0015] According to this configuration, if the lid of the protective box is open, the protective box is not returned, so the user can easily notice that the lid is open and can be encouraged to close the lid.

[0016] The lid may be rotatably attached to the protective box body via a hinge. In this case, the door open / close detection unit may include a far-side detection unit that detects the side of the lid farther from the hinge and a near-side detection unit that detects the side of the lid closer to the hinge. This improves the accuracy of detecting whether the door is open or closed. The control unit may allow the protective box to be returned when both the far-side detection unit and the near-side detection unit determine that the door is closed and the latch detection unit determines that the dial lock is locked.

[0017] The far-side detector and the near-side detector may be disposed at an interval from each other in a direction along an edge of the protective box access opening.

[0018] The latch detection unit may be configured to irradiate latch detection light toward the protective box and may be disposed apart from the protective box. In this case, an opening for introducing the latch detection light is formed in the portion of the protective box onto which the latch detection light is irradiated, and the latch in the locked state is positioned so as to overlap with the opening when viewed from the direction of the latch detection light.

[0019] More specifically, the latch detector may be configured to emit latch detection light upward and may be disposed downward and spaced apart from the bottom surface of the protective box. In this case, an opening for introducing the latch detection light can be formed in the portion of the bottom wall of the protective box where the latch detection light is emitted, and the latch in the locked state can be positioned directly above the opening. This allows for a simple structure that can detect the latch.

[0020] The operation knob of the dial lock can be provided on the protective box body so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vertical direction. In this case, the latch can be rotated by the operation knob and positioned so as to be disengaged from the opening when in an unlocked state in a plan view.

[0021] The locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automated safe deposit box system may further include a display panel that displays a return button for receiving instructions to return the protective box, and a touch operation panel that detects the operation status of the return button displayed on the display panel. This allows the user to easily return the protective box. In this case, the control unit executes button display control to display the return button on the display panel when both the far-side detection unit and the near-side detection unit determine that the opening and closing door is closed, and when the touch operation panel receives operation of the return button while the dial lock is unlocked, it can display a message on the display panel indicating that the dial lock is unlocked. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] As explained above, it becomes easier for users to notice that the combination lock on the safe deposit box is unlocked, and users can be prompted to lock the combination lock, making it less likely that a financial institution employee will attempt to open the safe deposit box illegally. In addition, since the latch detection unit is provided in the booth equipment, it is possible to ensure a large internal volume for each safe deposit box and reduce the cost of the entire safe deposit box system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fully automatic safe deposit box system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the booth equipment when the door is in the closed state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the booth equipment when the door is in an open position and the lid of the protective box is in a closed position. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the booth equipment when the opening and closing door and the lid of the protective box are in the open state. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a fully automated safe deposit box system. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the protective box when the lid is in the closed state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the protective box when the lid is in an open state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view equivalent to FIG. 9 in the unlocked state. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a touch panel display device on which a return button is displayed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a fully automated safe deposit box system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fully automated safe deposit box system 100 is a system in which a user can independently retrieve their own protective box 1 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4), store or retrieve items, and then return the protective box 1. That is, the fully automated safe deposit box system 100 includes a plurality of protective boxes 1, a safe deposit box room 101 that stores the protective boxes 1, booth equipment 102 provided in a coupon booth where users store or retrieve items in the protective boxes 1, and a transport mechanism 103 that transports the protective boxes 1 between the safe deposit box room 101 and the booth equipment 102. This fully automated safe deposit box system 100 is introduced and used in, for example, financial institutions such as banks.

[0026] The details of the protective box 1 will be described later, but it has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and is capable of storing a user's belongings and the like inside. A protective box 1 is assigned to each user. The safe deposit box room 101 is provided adjacent to the coupon booth in which the booth equipment 102 is installed, and although not shown, is configured to be able to store multiple protective boxes 1 lined up in a predetermined direction. Only pre-registered users can enter the coupon booth by performing an authentication operation. The safe deposit box room 101 and the coupon booth may be separate, for example, installed on different floors, or may be integrated, and the booth equipment 102 may not be provided in the coupon booth.

[0027] The booth equipment 102 has a touch operation panel display device 104, a protective box insertion desk 106 having a protective box access port 105, and input keys 102a. The touch operation panel display device 104 is connected to a control unit 111 of the booth equipment 102. The touch operation panel display device 104 may be installed away from the booth equipment 102, and its installation location is not particularly limited. The touch operation panel display device 104 is configured to allow users to perform various operations, and as shown in FIG. 5, has a display panel 104a that can display various buttons, input keys, etc., and a touch operation panel 104b that detects the operation status of the various buttons, input keys, etc. displayed on the display panel 104a. The control unit 111 controls the display panel 104a to display the various buttons, input keys, etc. When the touch operation panel 104b detects the operation status of the various buttons, input keys, etc., the information is received by the control unit 111. A conventionally known touch operation panel display device can be used as the touch operation panel 104.

[0028] The control unit 111 identifies the user as an authorized user based on the password entered into the input keys 102a or touch panel 104, a separately provided ID card authentication device, or the like. Once it has been identified that the user is an authorized user, the user performs an operation to remove the protective box 1. Specifically, the transport mechanism 103 is controlled by the control unit 111, and once it has been identified that the user is an authorized user, it transports the protective box 1 of that user from the safe deposit box room 101 to the inside of the protective box access opening 105 of the protective box deposit desk 106. Note that the display device is not limited to the touch operation panel type 104, and a display device without a touch operation panel may also be provided.

[0029] Protective box access port 105 is provided so as to open on the top surface of protective box insertion desk 106. This protective box access port 105 is equipped with an opening / closing door 107, which is opened by rotating the opening / closing door 107 upward as shown in FIG. 3, thereby opening protective box access port 105. On the other hand, when opening / closing door 107 is rotated downward from the open state, it is closed as shown in FIG. 2, thereby closing protective box access port 105. The operation of opening / closing door 107 is not limited to the above-described operation, and any operation, such as a shutter type, may be used.

[0030] The opening and closing door 107 is locked so that it cannot be opened unless the protective box 1 is at the protective box access port 105, and is unlocked so that it can be opened when the protective box 1 is at the protective box access port 105. In other words, the opening and closing door 107 is automatically locked or unlocked depending on the position of the protective box 1.

[0031] The above configuration, user operations, and operation of each section are the same as those of the conventionally known fully automated safe deposit box system 100. The device for preventing forgetting to lock the safe deposit box provided in the fully automated safe deposit box system 100 will now be described.

[0032] (Overall configuration of protective box 1) 6 and 7 show the protective box 1. In the description of this embodiment, the front and back sides and the right and left sides of the protective box 1 are defined as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, but this definition is provided merely for the convenience of the description of the embodiment and does not limit the orientation of the protective box 1 during use. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of booth equipment 102 in which the protective box 1 is housed, and although not shown in this figure, part of a transport mechanism 103 for transporting the protective box 1 is also provided inside the booth equipment 102.

[0033] The protective box 1 comprises a protective box main body 2 in which a user of the fully automated safe deposit box system 100 stores items, a lid 3 that is provided on the protective box main body 2 and that opens and closes an opening 2a for inserting and removing items that the protective box main body 2 has, and a combination lock 4 that locks the lid 3 in the closed state. As shown in Fig. 3, the protective box 1 is stored in a protective box access opening 105 that has an opening and closing door 107 that the fully automated safe deposit box system 100 has. Basically, the protective box 1 is used while stored in the protective box access opening 105, and the user cannot remove the protective box 1 from the protective box access opening 105.

[0034] The shape and size of the protective box 1 are not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, with the depth dimension longer than the width dimension and the vertical dimension shorter than the depth dimension and the width dimension. Protective boxes 1 of various sizes can be prepared, and the present invention can be applied to any protective box 1. For example, the protective box 1 may have a shape in which the vertical dimension is longer than the width dimension.

[0035] (Configuration of protective box body 2) The protective box body 2 has a bottom wall 20, a peripheral wall 21 extending upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 20, and a mounting plate 22 to which the dial lock 4 is attached. The mounting plate 22 is provided on the front side of the protective box body 2, and therefore the dial lock 4 is positioned on the front side of the protective box body 2. The dial lock 4 and the protective box body 2 are integrated via the mounting plate 22. The bottom wall 20, peripheral wall 21, and mounting plate 22 of the protective box body 2 can be made of, for example, a metal plate.

[0036] 7, the opening 2a for inserting and removing items is formed so as to open on the top surface of the protective box main body 2. That is, the opening 2a for inserting and removing items is approximately rectangular and opens over a wide area extending from the left side to the vicinity of the right side of the protective box main body 2, behind the mounting plate portion 22. The opening 2a for inserting and removing items is an opening that is used when a user places an item inside the protective box main body 2 and when a user takes out an item stored inside the protective box main body 2.

[0037] (Lid 3 configuration) The lid 3 is manually opened and closed by the user. The lid 3 has a rectangular shape similar to the opening 2a for inserting and removing items, and can be switched between a state in which the opening 2a for inserting and removing items is closed (as shown in FIG. 6) and a state in which the opening 2a for inserting and removing items is open (as shown in FIG. 7). The lid 3 can also be made of a metal plate. A hinge 3a is provided on the rear edge of the lid 3. Therefore, the lid 3 is rotatably attached to the protective box body 2 via the hinge 3a. The hinge 3a may be a torque hinge configured to apply a force in the opening direction. A locking member 30 is provided on the front side of the lid 3 to lock onto a latch of a dial lock 4 (described later). The hinge 3a may be provided on either the left or right edge of the lid 3.

[0038] (Combination Lock 4 Configuration) In this embodiment, a dial lock 4 for locking the lid 3 in the closed state is attached to a mounting plate 22 that is separate from the lid 3. The dial lock 4 can have a conventionally well-known structure and includes a plurality of dials 40 with numbers written on them, a case 41 that rotatably supports these dials 40, an operation knob 42 that the user operates to switch between unlocking and locking, and a metal latch 43 (shown in Figures 9 and 10) that is rotated by the operation knob 42.

[0039] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the upper part of the operation knob 42 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the case 41 so that the user can grip it with their fingers. Meanwhile, the lower part of the operation knob 42 is formed as a shaft-like portion 42a extending in the vertical direction. The shaft-like portion 42a is rotatably supported by the case 41. In other words, the operation knob 42 is provided on the protective box body 2 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the vertical direction via the case 41. When the user operates the dial 40 to indicate a predetermined personal identification number, the operation knob 42 can be rotated. On the other hand, if the number on the dial 40 indicates a number different from the personal identification number, the operation knob 42 cannot be rotated.

[0040] The latch 43 is fixed to the lower part of the shaft-shaped portion 42a of the operation knob 42 and is rotated around an axis extending in the vertical direction by the operation knob 42. The latch 43 extends from the lower part of the shaft-shaped portion 42a of the operation knob 42 in the radial direction of the shaft-shaped portion 42a. In the state shown in FIG. 9, the latch 43 is positioned so that it extends toward the back, and the back end of the latch 43 is positioned so that it overlaps the upper surface of the locking member 30. As a result, the back end of the latch 43 is locked with the locking member 30, making it impossible to rotate the lid 3 in the opening direction. The state shown in FIG. 9 is the locked state of the dial lock 4.

[0041] On the other hand, when the operation knob 42 is rotated 180°, the latch 43 is positioned to extend toward the front and away from the locking member 30, as shown in FIG. 10. This disengages the latch 43 from the locking member 30, allowing the lid 3 to be rotated in the opening direction. The state shown in FIG. 10 is the unlocked state of the dial lock 4. Note that the dial lock 4 is equipped with a zero-reset mechanism that automatically returns the dial 40 to the origin (e.g., 0) when it is switched from the unlocked state to the locked state. Therefore, the dial cannot be unlocked without inputting the correct PIN number. Note that the angle by which the operation knob 42 is rotated to unlock the dial lock 4 does not have to be 180° and may be any angle. The dial lock 4 does not necessarily have to be equipped with a zero-reset mechanism.

[0042] (Detecting latch position) An opening 20a is formed in the bottom wall 20 of the protective box body 2 so as to penetrate the bottom wall 20 in the thickness direction. The opening 20a is positioned further back than the shaft portion 42a of the operation knob 42. The positional relationship between the opening 20a and the latch 43 is set so that the latch 43 in the locked state is located directly above the opening 20a. That is, when the protective box body 2 is viewed from the direction in which the latch detection light is irradiated (as viewed from the bottom), the opening 20a is positioned so that the opening 20a and the latch 43 in the locked state overlap. Therefore, when the protective box body 2 is viewed from below, the latch 43 in the locked state is positioned over almost the entire area of ​​the opening 20a. Meanwhile, in a plan view or bottom view of the protective box body 2, the latch 43 is positioned so as to be displaced from the opening 20a in the unlocked state, as shown in FIG. 10 . As a result, the latch 43 is spaced from directly above the opening 20a in the unlocked state.

[0043] The booth device 102 is provided with a latch detection unit 50 that detects the position of the latch 43 of the combination lock 4. The latch detection unit 50 is an optical sensor configured to irradiate a detection target with light of a predetermined wavelength, receive light reflected from the detection target, and detect the presence or absence of the detection target based on the intensity of the received light. The light irradiated from the latch detection unit 50 is light for latch detection. When the latch detection light is incident on the underside of the latch 43, it is reflected downward from the underside and received by the latch detection unit 50. The intensity of the light received at this time is relatively strong and exceeds a determination threshold, thereby making it possible to detect that the latch 43 is in the locked position. Note that, for example, if the intensity of the received light is less than the determination threshold, it may be possible to detect that the latch 43 is in the unlocked position.

[0044] The latch detection unit 50 is disposed downward and spaced from the bottom surface of the protective box 1. In this embodiment, a plate member 102b to which the latch detection unit 50 is attached is provided inside the booth equipment 102. The plate member 102b is positioned so as to face the bottom surface of the protective box 1 in the vertical direction. A space for disposing the latch detection unit 50 is secured between the plate member 102b and the bottom surface of the protective box 1.

[0045] A latch detection unit 50 is attached to the plate member 102b so as to emit latch detection light upward. The latch detection light emitted from the latch detection unit 50 passes through the opening 20a of the protective box 1 and reaches the space below the mounting plate 22 inside the protective box main body 2. In other words, an opening 20a for introducing the latch detection light is formed in the portion of the bottom wall 20 of the protective box 1 where the latch detection light is emitted. The latch detection light can be, for example, spot light. In this case, by making the diameter of the spot light sufficiently smaller than the diameter of the opening 20a and aligning the center of the spot light approximately with the center of the opening 20a, the latch detection light is not blocked by the edge of the opening 20a.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 5 , the latch detection unit 50 is connected to the control unit 111 and transmits a detection signal to the control unit 111 at a predetermined timing. The control unit 111 includes, for example, a microcomputer and operates according to a pre-stored program. The control unit 111 acquires the detection result of the position of the latch 43 by the latch detection unit 50 based on the detection signal transmitted from the latch detection unit 50. For example, when the intensity of light received by the latch detection unit 50 is equal to or greater than a determination threshold, the latch detection unit 50 detects that the latch 43 is in the locked position and transmits a detection signal (ON signal) indicating that the latch 43 is in the locked position to the control unit 111. On the other hand, when the intensity of light received by the latch detection unit 50 is less than the determination threshold, the latch detection unit 50 detects that the latch 43 is in the unlocked position and transmits a detection signal (OFF signal) indicating that the latch 43 is in the unlocked position to the control unit 111. In this way, the control unit 111 can obtain the detection result of the position of the latch 43 by the latch detection unit 50. The latch detection unit 50 can be operated to constantly detect the latch 43, in which case the detection signal switches from an ON signal to an OFF signal when the latch 43 switches from the locked position to the unlocked position, and switches from an OFF signal to an ON signal when the latch 43 switches from the unlocked position to the locked position.

[0047] The control unit 111 determines whether the dial lock 4 is locked or unlocked based on the detection result of the position of the latch 43 by the latch detection unit 50. When the control unit 111 receives an ON signal indicating that the latch 43 is in the locked position, it determines that the dial lock 4 is locked, and when it receives an OFF signal indicating that the latch 43 is in the unlocked position, it determines that the dial lock 4 is unlocked.

[0048] Although not shown, the latch detection unit 50 may be arranged to irradiate the latch detection light onto the protective box 1 from the side (horizontal direction). In this case, an opening for introducing the latch detection light may be formed in the portion of the protective box 1 onto which the latch detection light is irradiated, i.e., in the peripheral wall 21 of the protective box 1. In this case as well, the latch 43 in the locked state is positioned so as to overlap with the opening formed in the peripheral wall 21 when viewed from the direction from which the latch detection light is irradiated, so that the position of the latch 43 can be detected by the latch detection unit 50.

[0049] (Detects lid opening and closing) In this embodiment, it is possible to detect the open / closed state of the lid 3 of the protective box 1. To achieve this, the booth equipment 102 is provided with a door open / close detection unit 120 (shown in FIG. 5 ) that detects the open / closed state of the opening / closing door 107 of the protective box use entrance 105, and is structured so that when the opening / closing door 107 is in a closed state, the lid 3 of the protective box 1 is also in a closed state, and the open / closed state of the lid 3 of the protective box 1 can be indirectly detected by the door open / close detection unit 120.

[0050] 11, the door opening / closing detection unit 120 includes a first far-side detection unit 121 and a second far-side detection unit 122 that detect the side of the lid 3 that is farther from the hinge 3a, and a near-side detection unit 123 that detects the side of the lid 3 that is closer to the hinge 3a. That is, in this embodiment, the door opening / closing detection unit 120 includes the first far-side detection unit 121, the second far-side detection unit 122, and the near-side detection unit 123.

[0051] The first far-side detection unit 121, the second far-side detection unit 122, and the near-side detection unit 123 are optical sensors configured to irradiate light of a predetermined wavelength toward a detection object, receive light reflected from the detection object, and detect the presence or absence of the detection object based on the intensity of the received light. The light irradiated from the first far-side detection unit 121, the second far-side detection unit 122, and the near-side detection unit 123 is light for detecting whether the door is open or closed.

[0052] The first far-side detector 121, the second far-side detector 122, and the near-side detector 123 are arranged at intervals along the edge of the protective box access opening 105. Specifically, the first far-side detector 121, the second far-side detector 122, and the near-side detector 123 are arranged at a portion of the edge of the protective box access opening 105 facing the left end of the opening / closing door 107 so as to emit light for door opening / closing detection toward the left end of the opening / closing door 107. The first far-side detector 121 and the second far-side detector 122 are arranged to correspond to a position closer to the front than the center of the opening / closing door 107 in the depth direction. The distance between the first far-side detector 121 and the second far-side detector 122 is set narrow. The near-side detector 123 is also arranged to correspond to a position farther back than the center of the opening / closing door 107 in the depth direction. The distance between the near side detector 123 and the second far side detector 122 is set to be wider than the distance between the first far side detector 121 and the second far side detector 122.

[0053] When the light for door open / close detection emitted from the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 enters the side surface of the opening / closing door 107 in the closed state, the light is reflected from the side surface and received by the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123. The intensity of the light received at this time is relatively strong and exceeds the threshold for determining whether the door is open or closed, which turns the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 ON. When the opening / closing door 107 is in the open state, the light for door open / close detection emitted from the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 does not enter the side surface of the opening / closing door 107 and is not received by the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123. In this case, the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 turn OFF.

[0054] The light for detecting door opening and closing emitted from the second far-side detector 122 does not enter the side surface of the opening and closing door 107 when the opening and closing door 107 is closed. Therefore, when the opening and closing door 107 is closed, the second far-side detector 122 is turned OFF. On the other hand, when the opening and closing door 107 is still open just before it is closed, the light for detecting door opening and closing emitted from the second far-side detector 122 enters the side surface of the opening and closing door 107 and is received by the second far-side detector 122. In this case, the second far-side detector 122 is turned ON. In this way, the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 and the second far-side detector 122 have opposite ON and OFF states. When the opening and closing door 107 is closed, the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 output ON signals, and the second far-side detector 122 outputs OFF signals. Furthermore, when the opening / closing door 107 is in a completely open state, the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 output an OFF signal, and the second far-side detector 122 also outputs an OFF signal.

[0055] The first far-side detector 121, the second far-side detector 122, and the near-side detector 123 are connected to the control unit 111. The control unit 111 determines whether the opening / closing door 107 is in the open state based on the ON signals and OFF signals output from the first far-side detector 121, the second far-side detector 122, and the near-side detector 123. Specifically, when the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 output ON signals and the second far-side detector 122 outputs an OFF signal, the control unit 111 determines that the opening / closing door 107 is in the closed state. On the other hand, when the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 output OFF signals and the second far-side detector 122 also outputs an OFF signal, the control unit 111 determines that the opening / closing door 107 is in the open state.

[0056] The reason why the near-side detector 123 is provided separately from the first far-side detector 121 and the second far-side detector 122 will be explained. If the first far-side detector 121 and the second far-side detector 122 are provided, it would seem that the accuracy of detecting whether the opening and closing door 107 is open is sufficient. However, it is conceivable that, for example, a user may bring a hand, an object, or the like close to the first far-side detector 121 and the second far-side detector 122 while the lid 3 is open. In this case, there is a risk that both the first far-side detector 121 and the second far-side detector 122 may mistakenly detect the hand, an object, or the like as the opening and closing door 107. In response to this, by providing the near side detection unit 123 at a position far away from the first far side detection unit 121 and the second far side detection unit 122, even if the first far side detection unit 121 and the second far side detection unit 122 make an erroneous detection, it is unlikely that the near side detection unit 123 will make an erroneous detection at the same time, and as a result, the accuracy of detecting the opening and closing of the opening and closing door 107 can be sufficiently improved.

[0057] Next, the reason why the second far-side detector 122 is provided separately from the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123 will be explained. When the protective box 1 is filled with too many items and the lid 3 does not close completely, causing it to float slightly, it is assumed that the first far-side detector 121 will output an ON signal due to the lid 3, not the opening / closing door 107. When the opening / closing door 107 is closed in this state, it will interfere with the lid 3, making it impossible to close normally, but it is assumed that the near-side detector 123 will output an ON signal. Therefore, without the second far-side detector 122, the above-described abnormal state would be detected as a normal closed state. Therefore, by providing the second far-side detector 122, when the lid 3 is slightly floating, it can be determined that the lid 3 is not in a normal closed state because the first far-side detector 121, the second far-side detector 122, and the near-side detector 123 all output ON signals.

[0058] If the accuracy of open / close detection is sufficient with only the first far-side detector 121 and the second far-side detector 122, the near-side detector 123 may be omitted. Alternatively, the open / close detection of the opening / closing door 107 and the lid 3 may be performed by the near-side detector 123 in addition to one of the first far-side detector 121 and the second far-side detector 122. Alternatively, if the accuracy of open / close detection is sufficient with only one of the first far-side detector 121 and the near-side detector 123, the second far-side detector 122 may be omitted. Alternatively, the booth equipment 102 may have a lid open / close detector (not shown) disposed on the edge of the protective box access opening 105, instead of the door open / close detector 120, which directly detects the open / close state of the lid 3 of the protective box 1.

[0059] (Details of control by the control unit) When it is determined that the dial lock 4 is unlocked, the control unit 111 controls the transport mechanism 103 not to perform the return operation of the protective box 1. When controlling the transport mechanism 103, it may be controlled based only on the detection result by the latch detection unit 50, but in this embodiment, not only the detection result by the latch detection unit 50 but also the detection result by the door open / close detection unit 120 is used. When the detection result by the door open / close detection unit 120 is also used, the control unit 111 controls the transport mechanism 103 not to perform the return operation of the protective box 1 when the door open / close detection unit 120 determines that the opening / closing door 107 is open, but when the door open / close detection unit 120 determines that the opening / closing door 107 is closed and the latch detection unit 50 determines that the dial lock 4 is locked, the control unit 111 allows the return operation of the protective box 1.

[0060] As described above, the control unit 111 uses the detection signals of the first far-side detection unit 121, the second far-side detection unit 122, and the near-side detection unit 123 as the detection signal of the door opening / closing detection unit 120. The control unit 111 allows the return operation of the protective box 1 when all of the first far-side detection unit 121, the second far-side detection unit 122, and the near-side detection unit 123 determine that the opening / closing door 107 is in the closed state and the latch detection unit 50 determines that the dial lock 4 is in the locked state. The final return operation is performed after waiting for the user to perform a return operation as described below.

[0061] Although not essential, it is also possible to construct a system using, for example, a touch operation panel display device 104 as a user interface. Specifically, when the first far-side detection unit 121, the second far-side detection unit 122, and the near-side detection unit 123 all determine that the opening and closing door 107 is in the closed state, the control unit 111 executes button display control to display a return button 104c on the display panel 104a, as shown in FIG. 12 . The return button 104c is a button for receiving an instruction from the user to return the protective box 1. The touch operation panel 104b detects the operation state of the return button 104c displayed on the display panel 104a, and outputs an operation signal to the control unit 111.

[0062] After controlling the button display, when the touch operation panel 104b accepts operation of the return button 104c while the dial lock 4 is in the locked state, the control unit 111 controls the transport mechanism 103 to perform the return operation of the protective box 1. On the other hand, after controlling the button display, when the touch operation panel 104b accepts operation of the return button 104c while the dial lock 4 is in the unlocked state, the control unit 111 causes the display panel 104a to display a message indicating that the dial lock 4 is in the unlocked state, and controls the transport mechanism 103 not to perform the return operation of the protective box 1. Although not shown, a weight sensor is provided to measure the weight of the protective box 1, and when the weight sensor detects that the weight of the protective box 1 exceeds a specified weight, the control unit 111 causes the display panel 104a to display a message indicating that the weight is exceeded, and controls the transport mechanism 103 not to perform the return operation of the protective box 1.

[0063] Furthermore, the timing for displaying the return button 104c is not limited to the above-mentioned timing, and for example, the return button 104c may be displayed on the display panel 104a only when the first far-side detector 121, the second far-side detector 122, and the near-side detector 123 all determine that the door 107 is closed and the dial lock 4 is locked. In this case, unless the door 107 is closed and the dial lock 4 is locked, the return action by the user cannot be accepted.

[0064] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, the protective box 1 is provided with a keyless dial lock 4, so that users of the fully automated safe deposit box system 100 can unlock and lock the lid 3 by operating the dial lock 4 of the protective box 1. This allows users to use the protective box 1 keylessly without having to carry a key, improving convenience. Furthermore, since there is no risk of losing the key, lock replacement is basically not required during operation.

[0065] Furthermore, the control unit 111 can determine whether the hasp 43 of the dial lock 4 is in the locked position or the unlocked position based on the detection result of the hasp detection unit 50. If the user forgets to lock the dial lock 4 when returning the protective box 1 and does not lock the dial lock 4, the control unit 111 will automatically determine that the dial lock 4 is in the open state based on the detection result of the hasp detection unit 50.

[0066] If the dial lock 4 is determined to be in an open state, the control unit 111 controls the transport mechanism 103 so as not to perform the return operation of the protective box 1, thereby preventing the protective box 1 from being returned. This makes it easier for the user to notice that the dial lock 4 of the protective box 1 is not locked, and encourages the user to lock the dial lock 4. At this time, by displaying a message indicating that the dial lock 4 is unlocked on the display panel 104a, the user can immediately know the reason why the protective box 1 is not being returned, and can be prevented from forgetting to lock the dial lock 4.

[0067] Furthermore, because the latch detection unit 50 that detects the position of the latch 43 is provided in the booth equipment 102, there is no need to provide a latch detection unit 50 for each protective box 1, and therefore the cost of the entire fully automated safe deposit box system 100 can be reduced even if there are a large number of protective boxes 1. Also, by providing the latch detection unit 50 in the booth equipment 102 rather than in the protective box 1, it is possible to ensure a large internal volume for each protective box 1.

[0068] Incidentally, since the latch 43 is also provided in conventional dial locks 4, the inclusion of the latch 43 does not increase the cost of the protective box 1. Also, although it is necessary to form an opening 20a in the protective box 1 to allow light for latch detection to pass through, the cost required to form the opening 20a is minimal.

[0069] The above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, all modifications and variations within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the structure of the dial lock 4 is not limited to the above-described structure, and it may be a structure that automatically locks when the lid 3 is closed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0070] As described above, the present disclosure can be used to prevent a protective box for a fully automated safe deposit box system from being forgotten to be locked. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 protective box 2 Protective box body 3 Lid 3a Hinge 4 combination lock 20a opening 42 Operation knob 43 Stakes 50 Latch detection unit 102 Booth Equipment 104a Display panel 104b Touch panel 105 Protection box usage opening 111 Control Unit 120 Door opening / closing detector 121 First far side detection unit 122 Second far-side detection unit 123 Near side detection unit

Claims

1. A device for preventing forgetting to lock a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system, a latch detection unit provided in a booth device of the fully automatic safe deposit box system, the latch detection unit detecting the position of a latch of a dial lock that locks the lid of the protective box in a closed state; The device for preventing forgetting to lock a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system is equipped with a control unit that determines whether the dial lock is locked or unlocked based on the detection result of the position of the latch by the latch detection unit, and prevents the protective box from being returned if it is determined that the dial lock is unlocked.

2. 2. The locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system according to claim 1, The booth equipment is formed with a protective box access port into which the protective box is accommodated, A door open / close detection unit is further provided to detect the open / close state of the door of the protective box use opening, The control unit prevents the protective box from being returned when the door opening / closing detection unit determines that the door is open, and allows the protective box to be returned when the door opening / closing detection unit determines that the door is closed and the latch detection unit determines that the dial lock is locked. This is a device for preventing forgetting to lock a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system.

3. 3. The locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system according to claim 2, The lid is rotatably attached to the protective box body via a hinge, The door opening / closing detection unit includes a far-side detection unit that detects a side of the lid farther from the hinge and a near-side detection unit that detects a side of the lid closer to the hinge, The control unit is a device for preventing forgetting to lock a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system, and allows the protective box to be returned when both the far-side detection unit and the near-side detection unit determine that the opening and closing door is closed and the latch detection unit determines that the dial lock is locked.

4. 4. The locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system according to claim 3, A device for preventing forgetting to lock a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system, wherein the far-side detection unit and the near-side detection unit are arranged at intervals from each other in a direction along the edge of the protective box access opening.

5. 2. The locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system according to claim 1, the latch detection unit is configured to irradiate light for latch detection toward the protective box and is disposed apart from the protective box; an opening for introducing the latch detection light is formed in a portion of the protective box where the latch detection light is irradiated; The device for preventing forgetting to lock a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system is positioned so that the latch in a locked state overlaps with the opening when viewed from the direction in which the latch detection light is irradiated.

6. 6. The locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system according to claim 5, The operation knob of the dial lock is provided on the protective box body so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the vertical direction, The latch is rotated by the operating knob and positioned so as to be removed from the opening when the latch is in the unlocked state in a plan view.

7. 4. The locking prevention device for a protective box for a fully automatic safe deposit box system according to claim 3, a display panel that displays a return button for receiving an instruction to return the protective box; and a touch operation panel that detects an operation state of the return button displayed on the display panel, The control unit executes button display control to display the return button on the display panel when both the far-side detection unit and the near-side detection unit determine that the opening and closing door is closed, and when the touch operation panel accepts operation of the return button while the dial lock is in an unlocked state, displays a message indicating that the dial lock is in an unlocked state on the display panel.

Images