Conveying flow amplifying device

Abstract

To provide a carrying flow amplifying device for amplifying a carrying flow without generating any pressure difference to disturb the stable carrying of paper money in a carrying pipe, and for preventing the carrying efficiency of paper money from being lowered.SOLUTION: A downstream part of a suction part 64 for sucking the carrying flow with the weakened carrying torque and an upstream part of a jetting part 65 for jetting the carrying flow with the high carrying torque to the carrying passage 21 are overlapped with each other. A overlap area and a jet overlap area are provided, and a projecting 611a part 616 formed by projecting an internal 612a surface side 6a of a first long 611a part 611 and an internal 612a surface side wall of a second long wall part 612 is provided at a portion where the jet overlap areas of the first long wall part 611 and the second long wall part 612, which are both side wall parts facing a paper surface of a bill, face each other. To stably convey paper money passing through a bottleneck structure without twisting by increasing pressure in a path in the bottleneck structure from the paper surface side of the paper money.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying flow amplifier device that is applied to a paper sheet conveying device that conveys paper sheets with their paper surfaces arranged parallel to the conveying direction from upstream to downstream in a conveying pipe formed with a conveying path through which a conveying fluid flows from upstream to downstream, and that amplifies the conveying flow so as to increase the conveying torque applied to the paper sheets by the conveying flow. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when transporting paper sheets such as thin plastic or paper cards and banknotes, paper sheet transport devices that use belts or rollers to sandwich and send out paper sheets have been known and are widely used on the market. For example, in an amusement parlor where gaming machines such as pachinko and slot machines are installed, a gaming media lending device or the like is provided adjacent to the gaming machine, and a paper sheet transport device is used when the banknotes are not stored in the gaming media lending device but are transported to a banknote safe or the like that has the function of a paper sheet recovery device.

[0003] Such paper sheet transport devices use a mechanism that clamps paper sheets (e.g., banknotes) between belts and rollers for transport, so a problem has been that banknotes often get jammed at the transfer points of the belts and rollers. In order to resolve a banknote jam, players playing on the gaming machine must stop playing, the malfunctioning part in the gaming island must be identified, and the jammed banknote must be removed, which inconveniences customers and places a considerable burden on gaming parlor staff.

[0004] In recent years, a paper sheet transport device has been proposed that generates a transport airflow within a transport tube and transports paper sheets on the airflow. Transporting paper sheets using airflow eliminates the need for mechanisms such as belts and rollers, eliminating the risk of paper sheets jamming in the mechanical components. One proposed air-transport paper sheet transport device smooths the transport of paper sheets by deforming the rear end of the paper sheet into an L-shape, a curved (circular arc), a cylindrical shape, or a zigzag shape and applying airflow pressure to the deformed portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Another proposed technology, instead of directly transporting paper sheets using airflow, is to transport the paper sheets by pushing them from behind with a transport auxiliary body that moves from upstream to downstream using airflow, and then separate the paper sheets from the transport auxiliary body at the end of the transport tube (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0005] In such a paper sheet transport device, the paper sheets are transported by an air flow generated by sending air from the most upstream side and drawing air at the most downstream side, so the transport torque of the transport flow for the paper sheets may not be sufficiently maintained throughout the entire flow path on long-distance transport paths or vertically ascending transport paths, etc. Therefore, efforts have been made to amplify the transport flow in the middle of the transport path where the transport torque of the transport flow is assumed to be reduced, so that the paper sheets can be transported downstream.

[0006] The paper sheet transport device described in Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a booster (transport flow amplifier) ​​is provided in an appropriate location to drive a compressor when necessary to blow compressed air into the air duct at high speed from the nozzle outlet, thereby increasing the flow rate of the air flow.It is stated that by using the booster described in Patent Document 1, the flow rate of the air flow, which had been reduced by duct resistance, can be increased, allowing paper sheets to be transported smoothly.

[0007] In addition, the paper sheet transport device described in Patent Document 2 has a first auxiliary flow generator provided on the outbound side of a turn section where the transport tube turns back in a U-shape at the ends of the outbound and return paths, and a second auxiliary flow generator provided on the return path, and performs suction assist operation and push assist operation using the first auxiliary flow generator and the second auxiliary flow generator. The suction assist operation is a control that controls the shutter on the first auxiliary flow generator side to be in a closed state and the shutter on the second auxiliary flow generator side to be in an open state, thereby sucking air from inside the transport tube through an air suction hole opened on the return path side of the turn section, and moving the banknote and transport auxiliary body to the return path side of the turn section. The push assist operation is a control that starts before the transport auxiliary body and banknote pass the first auxiliary flow generator and reach the second auxiliary flow generator. Specifically, by controlling the shutter section on the first auxiliary flow generating device side to be in an open state and the shutter section on the second auxiliary flow generating device side to be in a closed state, air is blown out from the air intake hole opened on the outward side of the turning section toward the return side of the conveying pipe, pushing the banknotes and conveying auxiliary body to the end of the return side.

[0008] Furthermore, a thin plate conveying device has been proposed that conveys a thin plate (e.g., an amorphous ribbon with a thickness of approximately 20 μm) by blowing a pressurized fluid (e.g., air) at high speed from a Coanda nozzle to create a creeping flow along the Coanda wall formed in the conveying direction of the thin plate (e.g., an amorphous ribbon with a thickness of approximately 20 μm). This device conveys the thin plate by using a creeping flow (see, for example, Patent Document 3). The conveying device using the creeping flow is composed of a nozzle body that generates a creeping flow due to the Coanda effect and an airflow guide with an airflow surface formed downstream of the Coanda wall formed in the nozzle body. Because the nozzle body does not have a structure that protrudes upstream, multiple conveying devices can be arranged in series from upstream to downstream to form a continuous flow path. By blowing a creeping flow from each conveying device, even if the creeping flow from the upstream conveying device weakens, it can be amplified to an appropriate creeping flow by the downstream conveying device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5459870 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6211159 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6611150 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, when compressed air is sent into the conveying pipe using a booster, as in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the amount of air in the conveying pipe increases, causing the internal pressure to rise and preventing the pressure inside the conveying pipe from being kept uniform, which is a problem.If there is an imbalance in the pressure inside the conveying pipe, diffusion occurs to eliminate the pressure difference, and the compressed air also diffuses upstream of the booster, making the conveying air flow unstable and adversely affecting the stable conveyance of paper sheets.

[0011] Furthermore, as in the invention described in Patent Document 2, in order to switch between suction assist operation and push assist operation, the shutter section that opens and closes the air suction hole and the shutter section that opens and closes the air intake hole must be switched simultaneously, making the control complicated. Moreover, the part where air is sent in by the first auxiliary flow generating device and the part where air is sucked in by the second auxiliary flow generating device must be spaced apart by a certain distance, which creates the problem of the overall device becoming larger.

[0012] Furthermore, in the method described in Patent Document 2, either the first auxiliary flow generating device or the second auxiliary flow generating device acts on the air flow in the conveying pipe depending on the operation switching of the shutter unit, so the conveying flow is not kept constant not only inside the turn unit but also upstream and downstream of it. In other words, unless the state of the shutter unit is controlled depending on the transfer position of the conveying auxiliary body and banknotes to be conveyed, switching from "air flow that pulls in the conveying auxiliary body and banknotes" to "air flow that pushes the conveying auxiliary body and banknotes from the rear," the conveying auxiliary body and banknotes cannot be conveyed to the end of the return path. Therefore, the paper sheet conveying device described in Patent Document 2 cannot process multiple conveying auxiliary bodies and banknotes simultaneously, which also causes the problem of low conveying efficiency.

[0013] Furthermore, when using a creeping flow due to the Coanda effect to transport thin plates, as in the invention described in Patent Document 3, the amount of creeping flow blown out from the Coanda nozzle is very small, and unless a laminar flow is formed by drawing in the surrounding air, stable transport of the thin plate is difficult. Therefore, the transport technology described in Patent Document 3 cannot be simply applied as a transport flow amplifier for a paper sheet transport device that transports paper sheets in a transport pipe with a highly sealed structure from the upstream end to the downstream end.

[0014] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a transport flow amplification device that can amplify the transport flow without creating a pressure difference in the transport pipe that would hinder the stable transport of paper sheets, and that does not reduce the transport efficiency of paper sheets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention is applied to a paper sheet transport device that transports paper sheets whose paper surfaces are parallel to a transport direction from upstream to downstream in a transport pipe formed with a transport path through which a transport fluid flows from upstream to downstream, and is a transport flow amplifier that amplifies the transport flow so as to increase the transport torque applied to the paper sheets by the transport flow, wherein the paper sheets have a rectangular shape with two transport parallel sides that are oriented parallel to the transport direction and two transport perpendicular sides that are oriented perpendicular to the transport direction, and the transport flow amplifier includes a transport flow suction means that sucks in a portion of the upstream transport flow flowing from the upstream transport path from a suction section facing the transport parallel sides of the paper sheets, and a downstream transport flow that flows toward the downstream transport path from a spray that faces the paper surface of the paper sheets. and a conveying flow ejection means for ejecting the conveying flow from an outlet portion, wherein the conveying flow suction means sucks in the conveying flow with weakened conveying torque, and the conveying flow ejection means ejects an air flow with high conveying torque into the conveying path, so that a suction overlap area provided downstream of the suction portion of the conveying flow suction means and a jetting overlap area provided upstream of the jetting portion of the conveying flow jetting means overlap in the conveying direction, and the conveying flow suction means limits the suction introduction angle, which is an acute angle formed by the suction direction at least in the upstream portion of the suction path where the conveying fluid flowing through the conveying path is introduced via the suction portion, to a predetermined smooth introduction angle or less.

[0016] In the above configuration, the smooth introduction angle may be 35°.

[0017] In the above configuration, the suction section may have an upstream end at a position where the suction amount in the upstream part of the suction path, which increases or decreases depending on the suction introduction angle, becomes a necessary and sufficient reference suction amount. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, by using the transport flow suction means to suction a transport flow with weakened transport torque and using the transport flow ejection means to eject an air flow with high transport torque onto the transport path, a pressure difference that would hinder the stable transport of paper sheets is not generated between the upstream and downstream sides of the transport flow amplifier. Furthermore, even if multiple paper sheets are transported relatively closely within the transport path, the transport torque applied to each paper sheet can be increased, preventing a decrease in the efficiency of paper sheet transport. Furthermore, by overlapping the suction overlap area of ​​the transport flow suction means and the ejection overlap area of ​​the transport flow ejection means in the transport direction, a smooth transition can be achieved from the suction operation of a transport flow with weakened transport torque to the ejection operation of a transport flow with high transport torque. Additionally, by limiting the suction introduction angle, which is the acute angle formed by the suction direction for sucking the transport fluid from the transport path to the suction path and the transport direction, to a predetermined smooth introduction angle or less, an extreme reduction in the transport torque applied to paper sheets is prevented, enabling smooth transport of banknotes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1A is a schematic diagram of a paper sheet transport device equipped with a carrier flow amplifier according to a reference embodiment of the present invention, seen from above, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the paper sheet transport device of FIG. 1A, seen from the side. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B show the operating state of a first comparative carrier flow amplifier for comparison with the carrier flow amplifier of the present embodiment, where (A) is an explanatory diagram of expected operation and (B) is an explanatory diagram of actual operation. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B show the operating state of a second comparative carrier flow amplifier for comparison with the carrier flow amplifier of the present reference embodiment, where FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram of expected operation, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram of actual operation. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective overhead view of an amplifier tube in the carrier flow amplifier of the present embodiment, viewed from the upstream side. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an amplifier tube in the carrier flow amplifier of the present embodiment, seen from the downstream side. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 4. [Figure 7]1A is a perspective view of the suction guide member as seen from the suction chamber side, FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the suction guide member as seen from the banknote transport chamber side, and FIG. 1C is an explanatory diagram of the suction operation in the amplifier tube. [Figure 8] 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views taken along the line VIIIA-VIIIA and VIIIB-VIIIB in FIG. [Figure 9] 1A is a perspective view of the inner wall surface side of the first long wall portion formed integrally with the first jetting body, viewed from upstream, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the inner wall surface side of the first long wall portion formed integrally with the first jetting body, viewed from downstream, respectively. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a bottleneck structure provided in an amplifier tube. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B show an amplifier tube applied to the carrier flow amplifier device according to the present embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a top perspective view of the amplifier tube to which a suction guide member and a jet guide member are attached, and FIG. 1B is a top perspective view of the amplifier tube to which a suction guide member and a jet guide member are attached. [Figure 12] 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating one of the differences between the amplifier tube in the carrier flow amplifier of this embodiment and the amplifier tube in the carrier flow amplifier of the reference embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the conveying direction of an amplifier tube in a conveying flow amplifier according to the present embodiment. [Figure 14] 1 is an exploded perspective view of the carrier flow amplifier of the present embodiment, with a first attracting body and a second ejecting body removed from the amplifier tube. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Next, an embodiment of a paper sheet transport device to which the transport flow amplification device according to the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The paper sheets to be transported can be shape-retaining paper such as banknotes and documents (excluding those that do not retain their shape against the transport flow, such as tissue paper), resin films (including plastic banknotes), thin cards, etc. Below, a banknote transport device will be described that transports paper banknotes (rectangular banknotes with a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides). Furthermore, the transport fluid is not limited to gas, and liquid can also be used, but the following banknote transport device uses air as the transport fluid.

[0021] Before describing the embodiments of the present invention, a carrier flow amplifier according to a reference embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. This reference embodiment uses an amplifier tube with a different structure from the amplifier tube used in the carrier flow amplifier of the present embodiment, and therefore cannot achieve the same effects as the present invention, but it has the same basic structure as the amplifier tube in the carrier flow amplifier of the present embodiment.

[0022] The banknote conveying device 1 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B can be installed in, for example, an amusement parlor and used to collect and store banknotes PM inserted into a gaming media lending device, a card vending device, or the like. A continuous conveying path 21 is formed from the most upstream to the most downstream by connecting various conveying tubes 2 (e.g., a straight conveying tube 2a, a curved conveying tube 2b, a twisted tube, etc.). This conveying path 21 is a U-shaped flow path with its upstream end and downstream end adjacent to each other (see FIG. 1A in particular). Note that FIG. 1B is a side view of the conveying path 21 downstream of the curved conveying tube 2b. Hereinafter, for convenience, the left side of the paper in the conveying direction of the banknotes PM will be referred to as the left direction, the right side of the paper will be referred to as the right direction, and the vertical direction of the banknotes PM perpendicular to the paper surface will be referred to as the up-down direction.

[0023] When the banknote conveying device 1 is applied to an island facility where many gaming machines are lined up in an amusement parlor, if the transport flow generating device 31 and the banknote collecting device 32 are provided in the island safe 3 provided at one end of the island facility, the transport flow generating device 31 will be the most upstream of the transport path 21, and the banknote collecting device 32 will be the most downstream of the transport path 21. Then, banknotes PM fed into the transport path 21 from a banknote feeding device 41 as a paper sheet feeding device appropriately connected midway along the transport pipe 2 become the transport targets and are transported downstream. In other words, the banknotes PM as paper sheets are transported from upstream to downstream along the transport pipe 2 on which the transport path 21 is formed, which guides the transport flow TF generated by the transport flow generating device 31 (a flow of transport air in the transport direction) downstream, and the banknotes PM are collected by the banknote collecting device 32 as a paper sheet collecting device provided at the most downstream. As shown in Figure 1(B), the banknotes PM transported through the transport tube 2 are rectangular in shape, with first and second transport parallel sides PM1a and PM1b, which are long sides parallel to the transport direction, and first and second transport perpendicular sides PM2a and PM2b, which are short sides perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0024] The transport flow generator 31 discharges transport air from the most upstream part of the transport pipe 2 to generate a transport flow TF, and also suctions the transport air that has reached the banknote collection device 32, thereby circulating the transport air inside the transport pipe 2 and the island safe 3. A banknote validator 42 is provided in front of the banknote feeding device 41, and the banknote validator 42 determines the authenticity of banknotes PM inserted into gaming media lending devices, card vending devices, etc. Only banknotes PM determined to be authentic by the banknote validator 42 are introduced into the banknote feeding device 41, sent from the banknote feeding device 41 to the transport pipe 2, transported by the transport flow TF to the most downstream part of the transport path 21, and collected by the banknote collection device 32.

[0025] In an ideally sealed transport path 21, the law of constant pressure basically holds true, and a transport flow TF with constant pressure and velocity within the transport tube 2 should be generated. However, in reality, it is difficult to completely seal the transport tube 2. When constructing the banknote transport device 1, sealing treatment is applied to the connection points of each transport tube 2 and the banknote feeder 41. However, it is difficult to completely prevent leakage of the transport flow TF. As the length of the transport path 21 increases, the pressure and velocity of the transport flow TF tend to decrease downstream. Furthermore, in a curved flow path using a curved transport tube 2b, as in the banknote transport device 1, or a twisted flow path using a twisted tube in which the first and second orthogonal transport sides PM2a, PM2b of the banknote PM rotate 90 degrees from vertical to horizontal, differences in flow resistance depending on the flow path shape result in differences in the pressure and velocity of the transport flow TF. Furthermore, a vertical flow path that transports banknotes PM upward from a low position to a high position requires a stronger transport force than when transporting banknotes PM horizontally. Therefore, when the length of the conveying path 21 is long, or when there are curved, twisted, or vertical channels, it is necessary to amplify the conveying flow TF at an appropriate timing to increase the conveying torque applied to the banknotes PM.

[0026] The above-described banknote conveying device 1 has a long-distance flow path and a curved flow path in which the conveying direction changes 180 degrees along the way. At the most upstream end where conveying air is discharged and the most downstream end where conveying air is sucked in, a conveying flow TF that provides sufficient conveying torque for conveying banknotes PM flows, but along the way, there are cases where sufficient conveying torque for conveying banknotes PM cannot be provided. In particular, downstream of the curved conveying pipe 2b, the pressure and speed of the conveying flow TF weaken, which may hinder stable conveyance of banknotes PM. Therefore, a conveying flow amplifier 5 is provided at an appropriate location downstream of the curved conveying pipe 2b.

[0027] The carrier flow amplifier 5 according to this embodiment amplifies the carrier flow TF so as to increase the transport torque applied to the banknotes PM by the carrier flow TF, and is composed of, for example, an amplifier tube 6 connected between the upstream carrier tube 2 and the downstream carrier tube 2, a blower 7, a suction pipe 81, a discharge pipe 82, etc. The amplifier tube 6 includes a banknote transport body 61 whose inner space functions as part of the transport path 21, a first suction body 62a and a second suction body 62b provided on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the banknote transport body 61, and a first ejection body 63a and a second ejection body 63b provided on the left and right side surfaces, respectively, of the banknote transport body 61. Note that, in the carrier flow amplifier 5 according to this embodiment, a single blower 7 is used to perform both the suction operation from the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b and the ejection operation to the first and second ejection bodies 63a and 63b, but it is also possible to use an aspirator or an air blower to perform the suction operation and the ejection operation separately.

[0028] The first and second suction bodies 62a, 62b of the amplifier tube 6 function as conveyance path suction means by being connected to the suction port of the blower 7 via a suction pipe 81, and suck in a portion of the upstream conveyance flow from the upstream conveyance path 21 through suction portions facing the first and second parallel conveyance sides PM1a, PM1b of the banknote PM. Also, the first and second ejection bodies 63a, 63b of the amplifier tube 6 function as conveyance flow ejection means by being connected to the ejection port of the blower 7 via a discharge pipe 82, and eject a portion of the downstream conveyance flow directed toward the downstream conveyance path 21 from ejection portions facing the paper surface of the banknote PM. In this way, by sucking in the upstream conveyance flow with weakened conveyance torque using the conveyance flow suction means and ejecting an air flow with high conveyance torque into the conveyance path 21 as part of the upstream conveyance flow using the conveyance flow ejection means, a pressure difference that would hinder stable conveyance of the banknote PM is not generated between the upstream and downstream sides of the amplifier tube 6. Furthermore, even if a plurality of banknotes PM are transported in the transport path 21 in a state where they are relatively close to each other, the transport torque applied to each banknote PM can be increased, so the transport efficiency of the banknotes PM is not reduced.

[0029] It is important that the carrier flow amplifier 5 sucks in carrier air from above and below, facing the first and second parallel conveying sides PM1a, PM1b of the banknote PM being conveyed in the conveying path 21, and then ejects the carrier air toward the left and right side surfaces of the banknote PM. For comparison with the carrier flow amplifier 5 of this reference embodiment, the operating state of the first comparison carrier flow amplifier 105 provided in the banknote conveying device 101 is shown in Figure 2.

[0030] The first comparison carrier flow amplifier 105 sucks carrier air from the banknote transport section 1061 of the amplifier tube 106 connected to the upstream transport tube 102 and the downstream transport tube 102 via suction pipes 1062a and 1062b, and ejects the carrier air via discharge pipes 1063a and 1063b connected to appropriate locations downstream. Blowers 107a and 107b are used to suck and eject the carrier air. The first comparison carrier flow amplifier 105 with this structure is expected to suck in a portion of the upstream carrier flow TF-U flowing from the upstream transport path 1021 and eject the amplified carrier air as part of the downstream carrier flow TF-D, as shown in Figure 2(A).

[0031] However, in the structure of the first comparison carrier flow amplifier 105, because the carrier air is drawn in almost evenly from the left and right sides of the banknote transport unit 1061, if the banknote PM's passage position deviates left or right from the center, there is a risk that the banknote PM will be caught in the suction flow of the suction pipes 1062a and 1062b and will stick to the suction port, blocking it. In addition, even if the outlets are provided downstream of the suction ports, some of the carrier air blown out from the discharge pipes 1063a and 1063b will not flow downstream but will instead flow around to the upstream suction port, causing a backflow in which the banknote PM will be sucked in through the suction port (see FIG. 2(B)). If an air flow in the opposite direction to the carrier flow TF occurs in the transport path 1021, the banknote PM will stagnate midway through the amplifier tube 106, hindering stable transport of the banknote PM.

[0032] As such, it cannot be said that the first comparison carrier flow amplifier 105, which has a structure in which carrier air is sucked into the tube from the upstream side of the amplifier tube 106 and injected into the tube from the downstream side, is able to effectively amplify the flow. Therefore, Fig. 3 shows a banknote conveying device 201 equipped with a second comparison carrier flow amplifier 205, which, contrary to the first comparison carrier flow amplifier 105, sucks carrier air into the tube from the downstream side and injects carrier air into the tube from the downstream side.

[0033] The second comparison carrier flow amplifier 205 sucks in carrier air from the transport path 2021 through suction pipes 2062a and 2062b from the banknote transport section 2061 of the amplifier tube 206 connected to the upstream transport tube 202 and the downstream transport tube 202, and ejects the carrier air into the transport path 2021 through discharge pipes 2063a and 2063b connected to appropriate positions upstream of the suction pipes 2062a and 2062b. Blowers 207a and 207b are used to suck in and eject the carrier air. In the second comparison carrier flow amplifier 205 having this structure, as shown in FIG. 3(A), an air flow with an increased transport torque is ejected from the discharge pipes 2063a and 2063b into the upstream transport flow TF-U flowing from the upstream transport path 2021, and the air flow is merged with the upstream transport flow TF-U, and a portion of the air flow is sucked in through the downstream suction pipes 2062a and 2062b. The downstream transport flow TF-D is then expected to amplify the transport flow TF by containing a sufficient amount of airflow with a high transport torque that has reached downstream without being sucked in from the suction pipes 2062a and 2062b.

[0034] However, in the structure of the second comparison carrier flow amplifier 205, most of the high-torque carrier air ejected from the discharge pipes 2063a and 2063b becomes a circulating flow sucked in from the suction pipes 2062a and 2062b (see FIG. 3(B)). Therefore, the amplification effect of the second comparison carrier flow amplifier 205 is almost nonexistent or only slight, and the carrier torque of the downstream carrier flow TF-D cannot be sufficiently increased.

[0035] Next, we will explain the carrier flow amplifier 5 of this reference embodiment, which can solve the problems that occur in these first and second comparison carrier flow amplifiers 105, 205. Fig. 4 is a perspective overhead view of the amplifier tube 6 as seen from the upstream side, Fig. 5 is a perspective overhead view of the amplifier tube 6 as seen from the downstream side, and Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view parallel to the conveying direction of the amplifier tube 6 (a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow VI-VI in Fig. 4). The amplifier tube 6 comprises a banknote conveying body 61 in which a banknote conveying cavity 6a is formed, first suction bodies 62a and second suction bodies 62b in which suction cavities 6b are formed, and first ejection bodies 63a and second ejection bodies 63b in which ejection cavities 6c are formed.

[0036] The banknote transport body 61 is composed of a first long wall portion 611, a second long wall portion 612, a first short wall portion 613, and a second short wall portion 614, so that a banknote transport cavity 6a having a vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed, surrounded by four side walls and with the upstream and downstream ends open. The first long wall portion 611 functions as a side wall portion facing one face of the banknote PM (e.g., the left side in the transport direction). The second long wall portion 612 functions as a side wall portion facing the other face of the banknote PM (e.g., the right side in the transport direction). The first short wall portion 613 functions as an upper wall portion facing the first transport parallel side PM1a of the banknote PM. The second short wall portion 614 functions as a lower wall portion facing the second transport parallel side PM1b of the banknote PM. In addition, an upstream conveying pipe connection section 615a is provided on the upstream side of the banknote conveying body 61, and a downstream conveying pipe connection section 615b is provided on the downstream side, and by connecting these to the upstream conveying pipe 2 and the downstream conveying pipe 2, the banknote conveying space 6a becomes part of the conveying path 21.

[0037] The first suction body 62a is configured with a first side wall 621, a second side wall 622, an upstream protruding wall 623, and a downstream protruding wall 624 so that its upstream end is connected to the first short wall 613 of the banknote transport body 61 and communicates with the banknote transport cavity 6a, and its downstream end is open to form a suction cavity 6b. The first side wall 621 has a wall shape that extends the first long wall 611 of the banknote transport body 61 upward to connect between the upstream protruding wall 623 and the downstream protruding wall 624. The second side wall 622 has a wall shape that is symmetrical to the first side wall 621. The upstream protruding wall portion 623 has a wall shape with an inner wall surface 623a (see, for example, FIG. 6) that gradually increases in amount of upward protrusion and smoothly changes in a substantially horizontal direction from an appropriate upstream position (for example, the rear end position of the upstream conveying pipe connecting portion 615a) of the first short wall portion 613 of the banknote conveying body 61. The downstream protruding wall portion 624 has a wall shape with an inner wall surface 624a (see, for example, FIG. 6) that gradually increases in amount of upward protrusion and smoothly changes in a substantially horizontal direction from the inner wall surface 623a of the upstream protruding wall portion 623 to a downstream position separated by the suction portion 64 (see, for example, FIG. 6). In addition, a suction path connecting portion 625 is provided at the most downstream portion of the first suction body 62a. By connecting a suction pipe 81 via this suction path connecting portion 625, a suction path to the blower 7 is formed.

[0038] The second suction body 62b has an upstream end connected to the second short wall 614 of the banknote transport body 61 to communicate with the banknote transport cavity 6a, and is configured with a first side wall 621, a second side wall 622, an upstream protruding wall 623, and a downstream protruding wall 624 so as to form a suction cavity 6b whose downstream end is open. Note that the second suction body 62b has a structure that is vertically symmetrical to the first suction body 62a described above, and therefore a detailed structural description will be omitted.

[0039] The first ejection body 63a is composed of an upstream wall 631, a downstream wall 632, a first end wall 633, and a second end wall 634, so that its upstream end is open and its downstream end is connected to the first side wall 621 of the banknote transport body 61 to form an ejection cavity 6c that communicates with the banknote transport cavity 6a. The upstream wall 631 has a vertical wall shape that gradually approaches the first side wall 621 from upstream to downstream and is connected to the first side wall 621 at the upstream end of the ejection section 65 (see FIG. 6, for example). The downstream wall 632 is located outside the upstream wall 631, gradually approaches the first side wall 621 from upstream to downstream, and is connected to the first side wall 621 at the downstream end of the ejection section 65. The first end wall 633 has a wall shape that extends the first short wall 613 of the banknote transport body 61 leftward beyond the first long wall 611, connecting the upper ends of the upstream wall 631 and the downstream wall 632. The second end wall 634 has a wall shape that extends the second short wall 614 of the banknote transport body 61 leftward beyond the first long wall 611, connecting the lower ends of the upstream wall 631 and the downstream wall 632. In addition, a jetting path connecting portion 635 is provided at the most upstream portion of the first jetting body 63a, and by connecting a discharge pipe 82 via this jetting path connecting portion 635, a jetting path from the blower 7 is formed.

[0040] The second jetting body 63b is configured with an upstream wall 631, a downstream wall 632, a first end wall 633, and a second end wall 634, so that its upstream end is open and its downstream end is connected to the second side wall 622 of the banknote transport body 61 to form a jetting cavity 6c that communicates with the banknote transport cavity 6a. Note that the second jetting body 63b has a structure that is bilaterally symmetrical to the above-mentioned first jetting body 63a, so a detailed structural description will be omitted.

[0041] The suction section 64 in the amplifier tube 6 configured as described above sucks conveying air from inside the banknote conveying space 6a via the first suction port 641 at the most upstream position, the second suction port 642 located downstream thereof, the third suction port 643 located downstream thereof, and the fourth suction port 644 located at the most downstream position. These first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 may be formed as part of the structure of the banknote conveying body 61 or the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b, but in this amplifier tube 6 they are formed by the suction guide member 66.

[0042] The detailed structure of the suction guide member 66 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7(A) is a perspective view of the suction guide member 66 as seen from the suction cavity 6b side. Fig. 7(B) is a perspective view of the suction guide member 66 as seen from the banknote transport cavity 6a side. The suction guide member 66 has first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644, which are roughly rectangular through holes opened in a flat, plate-like shielding base 661, and is attached to the upper or lower parts of the first and second long wall portions 611 and 612 by a pair of left and right mounting pieces 662.

[0043] The first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 formed in the suction section 64 by attaching the suction guide member 66 have narrower opening widths in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (left-right direction) toward the downstream, so that the opening areas become smaller. That is, the most upstream first suction port 641 has the widest opening width in the left-right direction, the second suction port 642 located downstream thereof has a slightly narrower opening width in the left-right direction, the third suction port 643 located further downstream has an even narrower opening width in the left-right direction, and the fourth suction port 644 located most downstream has the narrowest opening width in the left-right direction (see FIG. 7(B) in particular). In this way, the most upstream first suction port 641 has the largest opening area, the second suction port 642 located downstream thereof has a slightly smaller opening area, the third suction port 643 located further downstream has an even smaller opening area, and the fourth suction port 644 located most downstream has the smallest opening area.

[0044] The first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 are formed so that their opening widths in the direction of transport are substantially the same, and therefore differences in the left-right opening widths of the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 result in differences in the amount of suction. Therefore, the amount of suction from the most upstream first suction port 641 to the suction cavity 6b is the largest, the amount of suction from the downstream second suction port 642 to the suction cavity 6b is slightly smaller, the amount of suction from the downstream third suction port 643 to the suction cavity 6b is even smaller, and the amount of suction from the downstream fourth suction port 644 to the suction cavity 6b is the smallest. In other words, the suction volume of the suction port 64 is large on the upstream side and decreases downstream.

[0045] Here, we will explain the suction section 64 that sucks conveying air from within the banknote conveying cavity 6a into the suction cavity 6b, and the blowing section 65 that blows conveying air from the blowing cavity 6c into the banknote conveying cavity 6a. The suction section 64 in the amplifier tube 6 of this example is an area formed in the area where the first and second suction bodies 62a, 62b are connected at the top and bottom of the banknote conveying body 61. On the other hand, the blowing section 65 in the amplifier tube 6 of this example is an area formed in the area where the first and second blowing bodies 63a, 63b are connected at the left and right sides of the banknote conveying body 61. In other words, the suction section 64 is formed on the horizontal surface of the banknote transport body 61, which faces the first and second short wall sections 613 and 614, and the spouting section 65 is formed on the vertical surface of the banknote transport body 61, which faces the first and second long wall sections 611 and 612. Therefore, the suction section 64 on the horizontal surface and the spouting section 65 on the vertical surface do not overlap. However, when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction, there is a range from upstream to a certain point where only the suction section 64 exists, a range downstream of which there is a range where both the suction section 64 and the spouting section 65 exist, and a range further downstream where only the spouting section 65 exists. Therefore, the suction section 64 is divided into an upstream independent suction region 64a that does not overlap with the spouting section 65 in the transport direction, and a downstream overlapping suction region 64b that overlaps with the spouting section 65 in the transport direction. Similarly, the jetting section 65 is divided into a downstream independent jetting area 65a that does not overlap with the suction section 64 in the conveying direction, and an upstream jetting overlapping area 65b that overlaps with the suction section 64 in the conveying direction. In the banknote conveying empty section 6a in the range where the suction overlapping area 64b and the jetting overlapping area 65b overlap in the conveying direction, the suction operation into the suction empty section 6b and the jetting operation from the jetting empty section 6c are performed simultaneously, so care must be taken to prevent these operations from affecting each other and causing problems.

[0046] As described above, the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 of the suction unit 64 have narrower left-right opening areas toward the downstream side, and the amount of suction from the third and fourth suction ports 643, 644 provided in the suction overlap region 64b to the suction space 6b is kept low, thereby preventing adverse effects on the jetting unit 65. On the other hand, the first and second suction ports 641, 642 provided in the suction independent region 64a have large opening areas, so that the conveying air in the banknote conveying space 6a can be sufficiently sucked into the suction space 6b. Therefore, even if the opening areas of the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 are formed to narrow toward the downstream side, the suction unit 64 as a whole can exhibit necessary and sufficient suction capacity.

[0047] The first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 of the suction unit 64 are formed in a lattice pattern by a first guide piece 663, a second guide piece 664, and a third guide piece 665. These first to third guide pieces 663 to 665 function as guide pieces that guide the carrier air sucked in from the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 in the suction direction.

[0048] First guide piece 663 is a wing-shaped thin plate provided in a portion that separates first suction port 641 and second suction port 642, and extends into suction cavity 6b substantially parallel to the suction direction along inner wall surface 623a of upstream protruding wall portion 623 and inner wall surface 624a of downstream protruding wall portion 624. Upstream guide surface 663a, which is the upstream surface of first guide piece 663, is a flat surface substantially parallel to the suction direction. Meanwhile, downstream guide surface 663b, which is the downstream surface of first guide piece 663, is a bulging surface that bulges out near the openings of first and second suction ports 641, 642 and intersects with upstream guide surface 663a at the extending end. That is, the vertical cross section of the first guide piece 663 has a shape similar to the cross section of an aircraft wing (see FIG. 7(C) in particular), and functions to increase the suction efficiency of sucking conveying air from the banknote conveying space 6a to the suction space 6b. The guiding function of the first guide piece 663 will be described below.

[0049] When the carrier flow amplifier 5 is operating, the suction cavity 6b has a lower pressure than the banknote transport cavity 6a, generating an airflow of carrier air from the banknote transport cavity 6a toward the suction cavity 6b. Part of the carrier air passing through the first suction port 641 and the second suction port 642 reaches the upstream guide surface 663a or the downstream guide surface 663b. The upstream guide surface 663a, which is flat in the suction direction, generates a stable airflow that guides the carrier fluid in the suction direction. On the other hand, the downstream guide surface 663b, which is a guide surface that smoothly curves from the transport direction toward the suction direction within the suction cavity 6b, draws in the carrier air by the Coanda effect, increasing the speed of the airflow and increasing the amount of suction per unit time.

[0050] Second guide piece 664 is a wing-shaped thin plate provided in a portion separating second suction port 642 and third suction port 643, and includes upstream guide surface 664a and downstream guide surface 664b. Third guide piece 665 is a wing-shaped thin plate provided in a portion separating third suction port 643 and fourth suction port 644, and includes upstream guide surface 665a and downstream guide surface 665b. These second and third guide pieces 664, 665 also perform the same guiding function as first guide piece 663. Note that no guide piece is provided upstream of first suction port 641, but an upstream guide surface 661a is provided at the upstream end of shielding base 661, forming a guide curved surface that smoothly connects to inner wall surface 623a of upstream protruding wall portion 623 without any steps.

[0051] Furthermore, by providing the first to third guide pieces 663 to 665, it is possible to prevent banknotes passing through the banknote transport space 6a from being drawn into the suction space 6b. In the first place, the influence of the suction flow generated by sucking transport air from the upper and lower parts where the suction part 64 is provided on the banknote PM during transport is negligible. However, banknotes PM that have creases in the longitudinal direction are at risk of being influenced by the suction flow in the up and down directions and being drawn into the suction part 64, so forming a lattice structure with the first to third guide pieces 663 to 665 is effective in preventing the banknote PM from being drawn in.

[0052] Next, the jetting section 65 of the amplifier tube 6 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, a first jetting port 651 is provided in the jetting overlapping region 65b of the jetting section 65, and an upper-stage second jetting port 652a, a lower-stage second jetting port 652b, an upper-stage third jetting port 653a, and a lower-stage third jetting port 653b are provided in the jetting independent region 65a. Note that the number of jetting ports provided in each of the jetting independent region 65a and the jetting overlapping region 65b is not particularly limited, and more jetting ports may be distributed. For example, by providing multiple jetting ports in the jetting overlapping region 65b, more jet flows may be jetted from the jetting overlapping region 65b.

[0053] The first jetting port 651 provided in the jetting overlap region 65b is an opening provided in the vertical center of the first and second long wall portions 611, 612 so as to be spaced approximately equally apart from the suction overlap region 64b on the first suction body 62a side and the suction overlap region 64b on the second suction body 62b side. As described above, in addition to weakening the suction flow in the suction overlap region 64b, by providing the first jetting port 651 of the jetting overlap region 65b in the center spaced apart from the suction overlap regions 64b on both sides, it is possible to effectively prevent the jetting flow from the first jetting port 651 from being sucked into the suction portion 64 and becoming a circulating flow.

[0054] Meanwhile, upper-stage second jetting ports 652a are provided at the top of the upstream side of independent jetting region 65a, and lower-stage second jetting ports 652b are provided below that. Upper-stage third jetting ports 653a are provided appropriately downstream of upper-stage second jetting ports 652a, and lower-stage third jetting ports 653b are provided below that. Even if the jetting ports provided in independent jetting region 65a are provided closer to the upper side (first suction body 62a side) or lower side (second suction body 62b side), the possibility that the jet flow from the jetting ports will be sucked into suction section 64 and become a circulating flow is extremely low.

[0055] First jetting port 651, upper-stage second jetting port 652a, lower-stage second jetting port 652b, upper-stage third jetting port 653a, and lower-stage third jetting port 653b provided in jetting section 65 all have flow paths formed to communicate with jetting cavity 6c (see particularly FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B)). A vertical first partition 636 arranged along the downstream inner surface of downstream wall portion 632 of first and second jetting bodies 63a and 63b is a wall that separates the flow paths leading to upper-stage third jetting port 653a and lower-stage third jetting port 653b from the flow paths leading to first jetting port 651, upper-stage second jetting port 652a, and lower-stage second jetting port 652b. Further, second upper partition 637a, which is an upper wall that laterally separates upstream wall 631 and first partition 636, separates the flow path toward upper second outlet 652a from the flow path toward first outlet 651. Further, second lower partition 637b, which is a lower wall that laterally separates upstream wall 631 and first partition 636, separates the flow path toward first outlet 651 from the flow path toward lower second outlet 652b. In this way, the high-pressure, high-velocity airflow supplied from blower 7 branches within outlet space 6c and is ejected from each outlet into banknote transport space 6a.

[0056] The inner wall surface 611a of the first long wall portion 611 and the inner wall surface 612a of the second long wall portion 612 are flat surfaces that are approximately parallel to the conveying direction, and may remain flat from the upstream end to the downstream end, but in the amplifier tube 6 of this configuration example, they are formed into a protruding shape that narrows the left-right width of the banknote conveying space 6a (conveying path 21) in part. Specifically, a protruding wall portion 616 having a curved surface 616a with a curved shape whose protrusion amount increases smoothly from upstream to downstream is provided downstream of the first ejection port 651 in the first and second long wall portions 611, 612 (see FIG. 9(A) in particular). A downstream end face 616b, which is the downstream end of the protruding wall portion 616, is a flat surface recessed so as to be flush with the inner wall surfaces 611a, 612a of the first and second long wall portions 611, 612, and upper-stage second outlets 652a and lower-stage second outlets 652b open to this downstream end face 616b (see FIG. 9(B) in particular). Upper-stage third outlets 653a and lower-stage third outlets 653b, which are at the most downstream positions, open to the inner wall surfaces 611a, 612a of the first and second long wall portions 611, 612, and a guide structure is provided within the walls of the first and second long wall portions 611, 612 so that air is blown downstream at an appropriate angle.

[0057] By providing the protruding wall portions 616 at the portions of the first long wall portion 611 and the second long wall portion 612 where the jetting overlap region 65b faces, a bottleneck structure BN is formed that narrows the width of the transport path 21 (the left-right width of the banknote transport space 6a) and increases the flow resistance of the transport flow TF. As described above, transport air is sucked from the suction portions 64 at the top and bottom of the banknote transport space 6a, so the channel pressure decreases in the portion leading to the jetting overlap region 65b. However, by providing the bottleneck structure BN in the jetting overlap region 65b and increasing the flow resistance, the channel pressure can be increased (see, for example, FIG. 10). In the jetting overlap region 65b, the channel pressure increases downstream, preventing an extreme difference in channel pressure at the boundary between the jetting independent region 65a and the jetting overlap region 65b. If the pressure inside the path of the jet overlap region 65b were significantly more negative than the pressure inside the path of the independent jet region 65a, the conveying air ejected from the upper second jet outlet 652a and the lower second jet outlet 652b of the independent jet region 65a would be more likely to be sucked into the upstream suction section 64, creating the risk of a backflow from downstream to upstream. Therefore, by providing a bottleneck structure BN in the jet overlap region 65b and intentionally increasing the flow resistance, even if the jet section 65 is arranged so as to overlap the downstream side of the suction section 64, it is possible to prevent the backflow phenomenon in which the jet air from the independent jet region 65a is sucked into the upstream suction section 64, which is effective for stable conveyance of banknotes PM.

[0058] Furthermore, when the pressure inside the narrow passage structure BN becomes higher than the pressure inside the independent jetting region 65a located downstream, the speed of the transport flow TF passing through the narrow passage structure BN increases so as to reduce the pressure difference, thereby contributing to increasing the transport torque applied to the banknotes PM. The extent to which the narrow passage width is narrowed by this narrow passage structure BN can be set arbitrarily by the protruding amount of the protruding wall portion 616, and can be set appropriately taking into account various requirements such as the suction state of the suction portion 64 and the jetting state of the jetting portion 65. Furthermore, by providing the upper-stage second jetting port 652a and the lower-stage second jetting port 652b on the downstream end face 616b, which is the downstream end of the narrow passage structure BN, it is possible to effectively prevent the banknotes PM that have passed through the narrow passage structure BN from adhering to and stagnating on the inner wall surfaces of the first long wall portion 611 or the second long wall portion 612.

[0059] Furthermore, if only a bottleneck structure BN is formed in the jet overlap region 65b, one surface of the protruding wall portion 616 need not be the curved surface 616a, but may be a flat inclined surface whose protrusion amount is proportional to the distance in the transport direction. However, in the amplifier tube 6 of this configuration example, the curved surface 616a of the protruding wall portion 616 is formed so that the inner surface of the first partition body 636 smoothly connects with the curved surface leading to the first jet outlet 651. If the curved surface 616a is provided on the protruding wall portion 616, the jet flow that has passed through the first jet outlet 651 will smoothly flow downstream along the curved surface 616a of the protruding wall portion 616 due to the Coanda effect, and will pass through the bottleneck structure BN, resulting in a smooth flow from the jet overlap region 65b to the jet independent region 65a. That is, by providing the protruding wall portion 616 with a curved surface 616a that generates a Coanda effect in the ejected flow, the transport flow TF from upstream is prevented from being blocked by the bottleneck structure BN and diffusing, and the problem of the banknote PM slowing down or stagnating when passing through the bottleneck structure BN can be effectively avoided.

[0060] Although the carrier flow amplifier 5 in the above-described reference embodiment can also amplify the carrier flow TF so as to increase the conveying torque applied to the banknotes PM, the carrier flow amplifier of this embodiment can amplify the carrier flow TF more effectively. Figure 11 shows an amplifier tube 9 applied to the carrier flow amplifier of this embodiment, a suction guide member 83 connected to the first and second suction bodies 92a and 92b of the amplifier tube 9, and a jet guide member 84 connected to the first and second jet bodies 93a and 93b of the amplifier tube 9.

[0061] The amplifier tube 9 has the same basic structure as the amplifier tube 6 described above, and comprises a banknote transport body 91 whose internal space functions as part of the transport path 21, a first suction body 92a and a second suction body 92b provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the banknote transport body 91, respectively, and a first ejection body 93a and a second ejection body 93b provided on the left and right side surfaces of the banknote transport body 91, respectively.

[0062] The suction guide member 83 is a general-purpose structure that connects to the suction pipe 81 of the amplifier tube 9 and includes, for example, a first suction direction changer 831a, a second suction direction changer 831b, a first suction junction 832a, a second suction junction 832b, and a suction junction connection 833. The first suction direction changer 831a is connected to the first suction body 92a of the amplifier tube 9 and has the function of changing the suction direction, for example, toward the side where the second ejection body 93b is provided. The second suction direction changer 831b is connected to the second suction body 92b of the amplifier tube 9 and has the function of changing the suction direction to the same direction as the first suction direction changer 831a. The first suction junction 832a forms a flow path that continues to the downstream end of the first suction direction changer 831a. The second suction junction 832b forms a flow path that continues to the downstream end of the second suction direction changer 831b. Then, the flow paths intersect at the downstream end of the first suction junction 832a and the downstream end of the second suction junction 832b, and are connected as a single flow path to the suction junction connection 833. The suction pipe 81 is connected via this suction junction connection 833, and the suction operation by the blower 7 is performed.

[0063] The jet guide member 84 is a general-purpose structure connected between the amplifier tube 9 and the discharge pipe 82, and includes, for example, a first jet direction changer 841a, a second jet direction changer 841b, a first jet branch 842a, a second jet branch 842b, and a jet branch connector 843. The first jet direction changer 841a is connected to the first jet body 93a of the amplifier tube 9 and has the function of changing the jet direction, for example, toward the side where the first suction body 92a is provided. The second jet direction changer 841b is connected to the second jet body 93b of the amplifier tube 9 and has the function of changing the jet direction to the same direction as the first jet direction changer 841a. The first jet branch 842a forms a flow path connected to the downstream end of the first jet direction changer 841a. The second jet branch 842b forms a flow path connected to the downstream end of the second jet direction changer 841b. The flow paths intersect at the upstream end of the first jet branch portion 842a and the upstream end of the second jet branch portion 842b, and are connected to a jet branch connection portion 843. A discharge pipe 82 is connected via this jet branch connection portion 843, and the blower 7 performs the discharge operation.

[0064] Use of these suction guide member 83 and ejection guide member 84 provides better work efficiency than directly connecting the suction pipe 81 and ejection pipe 82 to the first and second suction bodies 92a, 92b and the first and second ejection bodies 93a, 93b of the amplifier tube 9. Furthermore, by making the suction guide member 83 and ejection guide member 84 general-purpose, they can be connected to not only the amplifier tube 9 but also the amplifier tube 6 described above. However, in order to use the suction guide member 83 and ejection guide member 84 for general purposes, they must be designed so that the relative positions of the first and second suction bodies 92a, 92b in the amplifier tube 9 are the same as the relative positions of the first and second suction bodies 62a, 62b in the amplifier tube 6.

[0065] Here, one of the differences between the amplifier tube 9 and the amplifier tube 6 will be explained with reference to FIG.

[0066] An upstream suction path is formed at least upstream of the suction cavity 9b formed inside the first and second suction bodies 92a and 92b of the amplifying tube 9, which draws conveying air from the banknote conveying cavity 9a in the suction direction VD9 via the suction part 94. The downstream part of the suction cavity 9b is a downstream suction path whose suction direction changes to the conveying direction TD so as to be connectable with the first and second suction direction changing parts 831a and 831b of the suction guide member 83. The suction direction VD9 in the amplifying tube 9 is determined as a direction substantially parallel to the inner wall surface 923a of the upstream protruding wall part 923 and the inner wall surface 924a of the downstream protruding wall part 924 of the first and second suction bodies 92a and 92b. Similarly, the suction direction VD6 in the amplifier tube 6 is determined as a direction substantially parallel to the inner wall surface 623a of the upstream protruding wall portion 623 and the inner wall surface 624a of the downstream protruding wall portion 624 of the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b.

[0067] In the amplifier tube 9, the suction introduction angle α9, which is the acute angle between the suction direction VD9 and the conveying direction TD, is approximately 25°. Meanwhile, in the amplifier tube 6, the suction introduction angle α6 is approximately 35°. When conveying air is drawn in the suction directions VD9 and VD6 from the banknote conveying space 9a, where conveying air flows mainly in the conveying direction TD, the downward flow direction of the conveying air changes depending on the suction direction, reducing the component parallel to the conveying direction TD. When the suction introduction angle α6 is large (close to 90°), the conveying torque that urges the banknote PM in the conveying direction TD is reduced, potentially making it difficult for the banknote PM to flow downstream of the suction unit 94. On the other hand, when the suction introduction angle α9 is small (close to 0°), the conveying torque that urges the banknote PM in the conveying direction TD can be increased, resulting in a stable flow of the banknote PM downstream of the suction unit 94.

[0068] Therefore, in this embodiment, the suction introduction angle α9 of the amplifier tube 9 is limited to a predetermined smooth introduction angle or less that can provide sufficient torque for stable transport of banknotes PM. A preferable smooth introduction angle is, for example, 30° or less. Even when the suction introduction angle α6 is 35° (exceeding 30°) as in the amplifier tube 6, most banknotes PM flow through the banknote transport space 9a without stagnation, which poses no practical problem. However, when the suction introduction angle α6 is set to 35° as in the amplifier tube 6, a phenomenon was observed in which the speed of the banknotes in the banknote transport space 9a decreased when a badly curled or folded banknote was inserted. Therefore, to achieve even more stable transport, the smooth introduction angle is set to 33° or less, more preferably 30° or less. This smooth introduction angle is not a fixed value that can be applied to all carrier flow amplifiers, but a value that changes depending on the structure of the banknote transport empty space 9a and the ejection empty space 9c in the amplifier tube 9, the suction force and discharge force of the blower 7, etc. As an example, for a carrier flow amplifier that can be applied to a banknote transport device that transports Japanese banknotes and has a pipe structure in which the transport air in the transport tube 2 can apply a stable transport torque to the banknotes PM, it is effective to limit the suction introduction angle to a smooth introduction angle of 33° or less.

[0069] Furthermore, to achieve the suction introduction angle α9 as in the amplifier tube 9, the upstream protruding angle of the upstream protruding wall portion 923 and the downstream protruding wall portion 924 must be reduced, as in the first and second suction bodies 92a and 92b. For example, if the protruding angle of the upstream protruding wall portion 623 and the downstream protruding wall portion 624 of the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b in the amplifier tube 6 is changed from 35° to 25°, the separation distance β6 from the inner wall surface 623a of the upstream protruding wall portion 623 to the inner wall surface 624a of the downstream protruding wall portion 624 will be reduced. In other words, if the separation distance β6 in the suction cavity 6b is reduced, the flow path cross-sectional area perpendicular to the suction direction VD6 will be reduced, which may reduce the amount of suction from the suction portion 64 or abnormally increase the suction speed, thereby raising concerns about impeding stable transport of banknotes PM. In addition, when the above-described general-purpose suction guide member 83 is used, it is necessary to make adjustments so as not to change the relative positions of the suction path connecting portions 625 in the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b.

[0070] Therefore, in the amplifier tube 9 of this configuration example, the upstream end 94u is provided at a position where the length of the suction section 94 in the transport direction is appropriately shifted upstream, so that the separation distance β9 from the inner wall surface 923a of the upstream protruding wall section 923 to the inner wall surface 924a of the downstream protruding wall section 924 is adjusted to be approximately the same as the separation distance β6 in the amplifier tube 6. As shown in Figure 12, by setting the upstream end 94u of the suction section 94 of the amplifier tube 9 a distance L upstream of the upstream end 64u of the suction section 64 of the amplifier tube 6, the suction volume of the suction cavity 9b can be increased to approximately the same as the suction volume of the suction cavity 6b in the amplifier tube 6. For example, a reference suction volume is set to a reference volume that is necessary and sufficient for the suction volume of the upstream suction path, which increases or decreases depending on the suction introduction angle. When the suction volume of the upstream suction path in amplifier tube 6 with suction introduction angle α6 is set to the reference suction volume, if suction section 94 of amplifier tube 9 with suction introduction angle α9 has upstream end 94u a distance L upstream from upstream end 64u of amplifier tube 6, the upstream suction path of suction cavity 9b will satisfy the reference suction volume. Furthermore, although suction path connectors 925 of first and second suction bodies 92a and 92b in amplifier tube 9 protrude slightly downstream compared to suction path connector 625 of amplifier tube 6, the relative positions of suction path connectors 925 of first and second suction bodies 92a and 92b of amplifier tube 9 can be maintained in the same state as the relative position of suction path connector 625 in amplifier tube 6.

[0071] The internal structure of the amplifier tube 9 configured as described above is shown in Figures 13 and 14. The suction unit 94 is divided into an upstream independent suction region 94a that does not overlap with the jetting unit 95 in the conveying direction, and a downstream suction overlap region 94b that overlaps with the jetting unit 95 in the conveying direction. Similarly, the jetting unit 95 is divided into a downstream independent jet region 95a that does not overlap with the suction unit 94 in the conveying direction, and an upstream jet overlap region 95b that overlaps with the suction unit 94 in the conveying direction. In the banknote conveying empty section 9a in the range where the suction overlap region 94b and the jet overlap region 95b overlap in the conveying direction, a suction operation into the suction empty section 9b and a jet operation from the jetting empty section 9c are performed simultaneously.

[0072] The suction unit 94 is formed integrally with, for example, the first short wall portion 913 and the second short wall portion 914 of the banknote transport body 91. That is, the suction unit 94 is configured by a substantially rectangular first suction port 941 opened on the most downstream side of the first and second short wall portions 913, 914, a second suction port 942 located downstream thereof, a third suction port 943 located downstream thereof, a fourth suction port 944 located downstream thereof, and a fifth suction port 945 located most downstream. The first to fifth suction ports 941 to 945 of the suction unit 94 are partitioned and formed in a lattice pattern by a first guide piece 926a, a second guide piece 926b, a third guide piece 926c, and a fourth guide piece 926d. These first to fourth guide pieces 926a to 926d function as guide pieces that guide the conveying air sucked through the first to fifth suction ports 941 to 945 in the suction direction. The first to third suction ports 941 to 943 formed in the suction section 94 have the same opening width in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (left-right direction), but the left-right opening width of the downstream fourth suction port 944 is slightly narrower, and the left-right opening width of the most downstream fifth suction port 945 is the narrowest. By adjusting them in this way, the suction amount is large in the suction independent region 94a of the suction section 94 and small in the suction overlap region 94b, reducing the possibility of sucking in the conveying air ejected from the ejection overlap region 95b.

[0073] The jetting section 95 includes a first jetting port 951 in the jetting overlap region 95b, and an upper-stage second jetting port 952a, a lower-stage second jetting port 952b, an upper-stage third jetting port 953a, and a lower-stage third jetting port 953b in the independent jetting region 95a. The first jetting port 951 in the jetting overlap region 95b is an opening provided in the vertical center of the first and second long wall portions 911, 912 so as to be approximately equally spaced apart from the suction overlap region 94b on the first suction body 92a side and the suction overlap region 94b on the second suction body 92b side. An upper-stage second jetting port 952a is provided at the top of the upstream side of the independent jetting region 95a, and a lower-stage second jetting port 952b is provided below it. An upper-stage third jetting port 953a is provided appropriately downstream of the upper-stage second jetting port 952a, and a lower-stage third jetting port 953b is provided below it. Furthermore, the inner wall surfaces of the first long wall portion 911 and the second long wall portion 912 are flat surfaces that are approximately parallel to the conveying direction, but a protruding wall portion 916 is provided on the downstream side of the first jetting port 951, with a curved surface 916a that protrudes smoothly from upstream to downstream (see FIG. 14 in particular). A downstream end surface 916b, which is the downstream end of the protruding wall portion 916, is a flat surface that is recessed so as to be flush with the inner wall surfaces of the first and second long wall portions 911, 912, and a bottleneck structure similar to that of the amplifier tube 6 described above is formed.

[0074] One of the differences between the amplifier tube 9 applied to the transport flow amplifier device of this embodiment and the amplifier tube 6 described above is that a first short wall portion side guide rib 917 and a second short wall portion side guide rib 918 are provided as guide protrusions on the inner wall surfaces (wall surfaces facing the banknote transport space 9a) of the first and second long wall portions 911 and 912, respectively.

[0075] The first short wall portion guide rib 917 and the second short wall portion guide rib 918 are protrusions with a triangular cross section that protrude toward the inner wall surfaces of the first and second long walls 911, 912, and are provided, for example, from an appropriate upstream side of the jetting overlap region 95b to the jetting overlap region 95b. The first short wall portion guide rib 917 and the second short wall portion guide rib 918 are symmetrical in the up-down direction, with the first short wall portion guide rib 917 being provided closer to the upper side (the first short wall portion 913 side) and the second short wall portion guide rib 918 being provided closer to the lower side (the second short wall portion 914 side). Although not shown, the arrangement of the first and second short wall guide ribs 917, 918 provided on the second long wall 912 is mirror symmetrical to the arrangement of the first and second short wall guide ribs 917, 918 on the first long wall 911.

[0076] These first and second short-wall-side guide ribs 917, 918 function as a transfer fluid guide means that prevents the transfer air ejected from the first ejection port 951 provided in the ejection overlap region 95b from being sucked toward the suction overlap region 94b. Furthermore, the first and second short-wall-side guide ribs 917, 918, which serve as a transfer fluid guide means, guide the transfer air flowing downstream along the first and second long walls 911, 912 toward the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b (for example, the fifth suction port 945 located at the most downstream position). The guide protrusions that function as the transfer fluid guide means are not limited to ribs (protrusion structures) that protrude from the inner surfaces of the first and second long walls 911, 912, but may also be formed by plate-shaped guide walls that protrude from the inner surfaces of the first and second long walls 911, 912. Furthermore, the guide projections are not limited to those formed integrally with the first and second long wall portions 911, 912, but may be formed as separate members and attached to the inner surfaces of the first and second long wall portions 911, 912.

[0077] The first short wall portion-side guide rib 917 includes a first guide portion 917a disposed substantially parallel to the conveyance direction of the banknotes PM, and a second guide portion 917b connected to the downstream end of the first guide portion 917a and disposed at an incline toward the first short wall portion 913, with at least the upstream side of the second guide portion 917b located within the jet overlap region 95b. Note that the second guide portion 917b is disposed so as to coincide with the upstream end of the first jet outlet 951, and therefore the jet direction of the conveying air jetted from the first jet outlet 951 is necessarily affected by the second guide portion 917b. Furthermore, although the downstream portion of the second guide portion 917b reaches the curved surface 916a of the protruding wall portion 916, the protruding amount of the second guide portion 917b is not changed, and therefore the downstream end of the second guide portion 917b is the portion where the protruding amount of the curved surface 916a is equal to the protruding amount of the second guide portion 917b.

[0078] The first guide section 917a includes a suction-side guide surface 917a1 on the first short wall section 913 side and a conveying direction guide surface 917a2 on the second short wall section guide rib 918 side, and guides the conveying air flowing along the inner wall surface of the first long wall section 911 in the conveying direction by branching it toward the first short wall section 913 side and the second short wall section guide rib 918 side. The upstream section of the first guide section 917a includes an upstream tapered section 917a3 whose protrusion gradually increases from the upstream end toward the downstream side, preventing the downward flow force of the conveying air from decreasing at the upstream end of the first short wall section guide rib 917. The second guide section 917b includes a suction-side guide surface 917b1 on the first short wall section 913 side and a jetting direction guide surface 917b2 on the second short wall section guide rib 918 side. The suction direction guide surface 917b1 guides the carrier air guided downstream by the suction side guide surface 917a1 toward the first short wall portion 913, thereby facilitating the carrier air to be sucked from the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b into the suction cavity 9b (see FIG. 14). The jet direction guide surface 917b2 guides the carrier air guided downstream by the transport direction guide surface 917a2 further downstream, and prevents the carrier air jetted from the first jet outlet 951 from becoming a divergent flow toward the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b, instead guiding the carrier air toward the independent jet region 95a (see FIG. 14).

[0079] On the other hand, the second short wall portion-side guide rib 918 includes a first guide portion 918a disposed substantially parallel to the conveyance direction of the banknotes PM, and a second guide portion 918b connected to the downstream end of the first guide portion 918a and disposed at an angle toward the second short wall portion 914, with at least the upstream side of the second guide portion 918b being located within the jet overlap region 95b. Note that the second guide portion 918b is disposed so as to coincide with the downstream end of the first jet outlet 951, and therefore the jet direction of the conveying air jetted from the first jet outlet 951 is necessarily affected by the second guide portion 918b. Furthermore, although the downstream portion of the second guide portion 918b reaches the curved surface 916a of the protruding wall portion 916, the protruding amount of the second guide portion 918b is not changed, and therefore the downstream end of the second guide portion 918b is the portion where the protruding amount of the curved surface 916a is equal to the protruding amount of the second guide portion 918b.

[0080] The first guide section 918a includes a suction-side guide surface 918a1 on the second short wall section 914 side and a conveying direction guide surface 918a2 on the first short wall section guide rib 917 side, and guides the conveying air flowing along the inner wall surface of the first long wall section 911 in the conveying direction by branching it toward the second short wall section 914 side and the first short wall section guide rib 917 side. The upstream section of the second guide section 918b includes an upstream tapered section 918a3 whose protrusion gradually increases from the upstream end toward the downstream side, preventing the downward flow force of the conveying air from decreasing at the upstream end of the second short wall section guide rib 918. The second guide section 918b includes a suction-side guide surface 918b1 on the second short wall section 914 side and a jetting direction guide surface 918b2 on the first short wall section guide rib 917 side. The suction direction guide surface 918b1 guides the carrier air guided downstream by the suction side guide surface 918a1 toward the second short wall portion 914, thereby encouraging the carrier air to be sucked from the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b into the suction cavity 9b (see FIG. 14). The jet direction guide surface 918b2 guides the carrier air guided downstream by the transport direction guide surface 918a2 further downstream, and prevents the carrier air jetted from the first jet outlet 951 from flowing back toward the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b, instead guiding the carrier air toward the independent jet region 95a (see FIG. 14).

[0081] In this way, providing the guide protrusions (first and second short-wall-side guide ribs 917, 918) that function as conveying fluid guide means can suppress a backflow phenomenon in which conveying air ejected from the first outlet 951 of the ejection overlap region 95b is sucked toward the suction overlap region 94b, contributing to stable conveyance of banknotes PM. In addition, the guide protrusions (first and second short-wall-side guide ribs 917, 918) that function as conveying fluid guide means can guide the conveying air flowing downstream along the first and second long walls 911, 9125 toward the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b, thereby also having the effect of improving suction efficiency in the suction overlap region 94b. Note that, in order for the first and second short-wall-side guide ribs 917, 918 to function as conveying fluid guide means, simply providing the second guide portions 917b, 918b in the ejection overlap region 95b from which conveying air is ejected from the first outlet 951 is sufficient. However, by guiding the conveying air to the upstream end of the second induction section 917b, 918b by the first induction section 917a, 918a, the conveying air can be smoothly guided by the second induction section 917b, 918b, further enhancing its function as a conveying fluid guiding means.

[0082] The above describes the carrier flow amplifier according to the present invention based on an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the scope of the invention encompasses all carrier flow amplifiers that can be realized as long as the configuration described in the claims is not changed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1. Banknote transport device 2. Conveyor pipe 21 Transport path 5. Carrier flow amplifier 9 Amplifier tube 92a 1st suction body 92b Second suction body 923 Upstream protruding wall 923a Inner wall 924 Downstream protruding wall 924a Inner wall 93a 1st ejector 93b 2nd ejector 94 Suction part 94b Suction overlap area 95 Spout part 95b Eruption overlap area 7 Blower 81 Suction pipe 82 Discharge pipe PM banknotes PM1a First parallel conveying side PM1b Second parallel conveying side PM2a First conveying perpendicular side PM2b Second conveying perpendicular side TF transport flow TD conveying direction VD9 Suction direction α9 Suction introduction angle

Claims

1. A conveying flow amplifier is applied to a paper sheet conveying device that conveys paper sheets, the paper surfaces of which are arranged parallel to a conveying direction, from upstream to downstream by a conveying flow in a conveying pipe formed with a conveying path through which a conveying fluid flows from upstream to downstream, and that amplifies the conveying flow so as to increase the conveying torque applied to the paper sheets by the conveying flow in a paper sheet conveying space connected between the upstream conveying path and the downstream conveying path, the paper sheet has a rectangular shape having two parallel conveyance sides arranged in a direction parallel to the conveyance direction and two perpendicular conveyance sides arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, a conveyance flow suction unit that sucks a part of an upstream conveyance flow that flows from the upstream conveyance path to the upstream side of the paper sheet conveyance empty section through a suction section that faces the parallel conveyance side of the paper sheet; a conveyance flow jetting means for jetting a part of a downstream conveyance flow toward the downstream conveyance path from a jetting portion facing a paper surface of the paper sheet, on the downstream side of the paper sheet conveyance empty portion; Established the transport flow suction means sucks in the transport flow with a weakened transport torque, and the transport flow jetting means jets out the transport flow with a high transport torque into the transport path; a suction overlap region provided downstream of the suction portion of the transport flow suction means and a jet overlap region provided upstream of the jet portion of the transport flow jet means are overlapped in the transport direction, The width between the inner wall surfaces in the paper sheet conveying space is narrowed by providing protruding wall portions that protrude from the inner wall surfaces of the both side wall portions at the locations where the jetting overlap areas of the both side wall portions that face the paper surface face each other. A carrier flow amplifier characterized by:

2. the protruding wall portion is provided downstream of a first jet outlet provided in the jet overlap region of the jetting portion, and includes a curved surface having a curved shape whose protruding amount increases from upstream to downstream, the curved surface is formed so that an inner surface of a first partition body, which is a wall body that partitions a flow path from the ejection cavity of the transport flow ejection means toward the first ejection port, is connected to the curved surface leading to the first ejection port.

2. The carrier flow amplifier according to claim 1.

3. A second jet port of the jetting portion is provided on a downstream end surface that is a downstream end of the protruding wall portion.

3. The carrier flow amplifier according to claim 1 or 2.

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