Medium storage unit and medium processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a medium storage unit and a medium processing device capable of suppressing a failure that a status related to the number of remaining media to be stored and the number of media to be actually stored do not coincide with each other.SOLUTION: The medium storage unit for storing the medium includes a frame 31 as a medium storage part capable of storing the cards K as the medium in a stacked state and capable of ejecting the cards K through an opening part provided on a wall part, a stage 33 provided on the frame 31 and movable according to the number of the stored cards K, and a plurality of photoelectric sensors 42 for detecting the position of the stage 33. The plurality of photoelectric sensors 42 are arranged side by side in the moving direction of the stage 33, and the intervals at which the photoelectric sensors 42 are arranged are set so that there is no case where the stage 33 is not detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a media storage unit and a media processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] A card issuing device is known that includes a card reader that reads and records information on cards, which are media, and a card storage section that stores stacked cards before issuance. Inside the card storage section, a stage is installed whose vertical position changes depending on the number of cards stacked.

[0003] In relation to technology for detecting the number of stored media, there is technology described in Patent Document 1. The technology described in Patent Document 1 relates to a device that processes media (one example is an automated teller machine at a financial institution), and detects the position of a stage using a photoelectric sensor and a prism. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-046301 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with conventional devices, depending on the timing of media replenishment, the status of the remaining number of media sheets based on the detection results of the photoelectric sensor and prism (for example, "low remaining," "medium remaining," etc.) could have a problem where it did not match the number of media sheets actually stored in the media storage cabinet.

[0006] The operation of the conventional device will be described with reference to Figure 14. Media storage 926 stores media and has a stage 933 inside. A feed roller 941 is provided at the bottom of media storage 926, and as media is fed out by feed roller 941, stage 933 gradually descends. A plurality of photoelectric sensors 942 for detecting the remaining amount are provided in front of media storage 926, and detect the position of stage 933 (i.e., the remaining amount of media in media storage 926) by receiving light returned from prism 937 provided on stage 933. Prism 937 is an optical element that returns light emitted from photoelectric sensor 942 to photoelectric sensor 942.

[0007] In the past, the size of the prism 937 was not taken into consideration, so for example, when the stage 933 was at the first position between the first photoelectric sensor 942a and the second photoelectric sensor 942b, none of the photoelectric sensors 942a, 942b, and 942c detected the stage 933. In this state, for example, if media were replenished and the stage 933 moved to the third position, the detection results of all the photoelectric sensors 942a, 942b, and 942c would not change, and the device would not be able to determine whether the stage 933 was at the first position or the third position. This resulted in a problem where the status of the number of remaining sheets of media (for example, "low remaining," "medium remaining," etc.) did not match the number of sheets of media actually stored in the media storage cabinet 926.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problem, and provides a media storage unit and a media processing device that can suppress the problem of a discrepancy between the status regarding the remaining number of media to be stored and the actual number of media stored. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, one embodiment of the present invention provides a media storage unit for storing media, comprising: a media storage section in which the media can be stored in a stacked state and from which the media can be ejected through an opening provided in a wall; a stage provided within the media storage section that can move according to the number of media stored; and a plurality of photoelectric sensors that detect the position of the stage, wherein the multiple photoelectric sensors are arranged in a row in the direction of movement of the stage, and the spacing at which the photoelectric sensors are arranged is set so that there is no chance that the stage is not detected.

[0010] A media processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes the media storage unit described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a problem in which the status regarding the remaining number of stored media does not match the number of media actually stored. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are external views of a media processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with (a) being a front view and (b) being a rear view with the rear door open. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the card section. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an external view showing the configuration of the medium storage cabinet with the shutter closed. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an external view showing the configuration of the medium storage cabinet with the shutter open. [Figure 5] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the medium storage cabinet, and corresponds to VV in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the medium storage case when attached to the card section. FIG. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] 8 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to XX in FIG. 7. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the arrangement interval of the photoelectric sensors and the dimensions of the prism. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is an example of a status setting flow in a medium storage unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a conventional device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. Furthermore, in the drawings, the dimensions of components constituting the present invention may be exaggerated for clarity. In addition, in each drawing, common or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0014] [First embodiment] The configuration of a media processing device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 shows the exterior of the media processing device 1, with (a) being a front view and (b) being a rear view with the rear door open. In the description of the media processing device 1, "up and down" and "left and right" refer to the arrows in Figure 1. These directions are defined for the sake of convenience and do not limit the invention.

[0015] The media processing device 1 is a device that processes media. Media include, for example, cards, tickets, and passbooks. In this embodiment, the media processing device 1 is described as an automatic ticket vending machine. The media processing device 1 includes a customer operation unit 2, a ticket insertion / ejection unit 3, a coin insertion / ejection unit 4, an attendant operation unit 5, a card unit 6, a ticket issuing unit 7, a banknote unit 8, a coin unit 9, a coin collection safe 10, and a power supply unit 11.

[0016] The customer operation unit 2 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) on which customers operate the media processing device 1. The ticket insertion and ejection unit 3 has a card insertion and ejection slot, a banknote insertion and ejection slot, a media issuing slot, etc. The coin insertion and ejection unit 4 has a coin insertion and ejection slot, etc. The attendant operation unit 5 is a liquid crystal display on which attendants operate the media processing device 1, and is provided on the inside of the rear door (on the main body side).

[0017] The card unit 6 is a unit that handles cards. The ticket issuing unit 7 is a unit that handles tickets. The banknote unit 8 is a unit that handles banknotes. The coin unit 9 is a unit that handles coins. The coin collection safe 10 is a unit that stores coins collected by an attendant. The power supply unit 11 is a unit that supplies power to each unit of the media processing device 1.

[0018] The configuration of the card section 6 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the card section 6. The card section 6 mainly comprises an inserter unit 21, a transport switching section 22, a card reader unit 23, a non-contact IC unit 24, a printing unit 25, a medium storage 26, and a control section 27. These components are connected by a transport path 28. The dotted arrow in Figure 2 indicates the transport direction of the card.

[0019] The inserter unit 21 draws a card inserted through the card insertion / ejection slot 6a into the device. The inserter unit 21 also reads and writes information, and ejects cards from the card insertion / ejection slot 6a after printing has been completed. The inserter unit 21 is equipped with a sensor (magnetic sensor, reflective sensor, etc.) not shown, which determines the type of card.

[0020] The transport switching unit 22 switches the transport destination of the card pulled in by the inserter unit 21. Depending on the type of card identified by the inserter unit 21, the transport switching unit 22 can switch the transport destination of the card to the card reader unit 23, the non-contact IC unit 24, or the printing unit 25. For example, the processing route can be selected by rotating the transport switching unit 22.

[0021] The card reader unit 23 reads information recorded on the magnetic stripe of a card and writes information to the magnetic stripe. A card that has been identified as having a magnetic stripe by the inserter unit 21 is transported to this card reader unit 23.

[0022] The non-contact IC unit 24 reads and writes information from and to the IC chip provided in the IC card. The non-contact IC unit 24 receives the IC card identified by the inserter unit 21 and the IC card dispensed from the media storage 26.

[0023] The printing unit 25 is equipped with a print head and an erase head, and prints on the rewrite surface formed on the surface of the IC card and erases printed characters, etc. The printing unit 25 is transported with IC cards identified by the inserter unit 21 and IC cards dispensed from the media storage 26.

[0024] Media storage 26 is a storage section in which new cards are stored in advance. Media storage 26 is configured to be detachable from card section 6, and can be attached and detached from the rear side of card section 6. Media storage 26 is located at the back (rear side) of printing unit 25, and is configured to eject stored cards into transport path 28 from an opening formed near the bottom of media storage 26.

[0025] The control unit 27 is configured with a CPU or the like, and controls the overall operation of the card unit 6 based on a control program (software) stored in a storage unit such as a memory.

[0026] The configuration of the medium storage 26 and its surrounding area will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8. FIG. 3 is an external view showing the configuration of the medium storage 26, with the shutter 35 closed. FIG. 4 is an external view showing the configuration of the medium storage 26, with the shutter 35 open. The shutter 35 is closed when the medium storage 26 is removed from the card unit 6 and is opened when the medium storage 26 is attached to the card unit 6. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the medium storage 26, corresponding to VV in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the medium storage 26 when attached to the card unit 6. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. In FIGS. 4, 7, and 8, the shutter 35 is opened to form a gate 31f for ejecting the card K to the outside.

[0027] 3, the medium storage 26 mainly includes a frame 31, a storage door 32, a stage 33 (see FIG. 5), a reference plate 34 (see FIG. 4), and a shutter 35. The medium storage 26 stores cards K (see FIG. 5).

[0028] The frame 31 shown in FIG. 3 is a component that forms the main body of the medium storage 26. The frame 31 has a shape and size that allows it to store cards K lying on their side in a stacked manner (as shown in FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the frame 31 has a box shape (a rectangular parallelepiped shape with one side removed) that is open on the rear side, and has a bottom 31a, a front wall 31b, a left wall 31c, a right wall 31d, and a ceiling 31e. The frame 31 is an example of a "medium storage section." The front wall 31b, the left wall 31c, and the right wall 31d are examples of "walls."

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, a storage door 32 is installed on the open rear side of the frame 31. The storage door 32 is pivotally supported by a rotation fulcrum portion 32a. By lifting the lower portion of the storage door 32 in the β direction in FIG. 5, the rear side of the frame 31 is opened and the interior of the frame 31 is exposed. With the storage door 32 open in the β direction, cards K can be loaded into the media storage cabinet 26. Replenishing of cards K into the media storage cabinet 26 is performed with the media storage cabinet 26 removed from the card unit 6. The cards K stored in the media storage cabinet 26 are pushed down by the weight of the stage 33 and come into contact with the bottom portion 31a of the media storage cabinet 26.

[0030] 7 and 8, the lower end 31ba of the front wall 31b of the medium storage 26 does not contact the bottom 31a, and a gap (opening) is formed between the front wall 31b and the bottom 31a. This gap, together with the reference plate 34 and the shutter 35, constitutes a gate 31f for ejecting the card K to the outside. In this way, the gate 31f is formed near the bottom 31a of the medium storage 26.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 7, a reference plate 34 is provided on the inside of the front wall 31b, and a shutter 35 is provided on the outside of the front wall 31b. The reference plate 34 is fixed to the front wall 31b and is immovable. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the reference plate 34 is fixed near the lower end 31ba of the front wall 31b, in the center in the left-right direction. The reference plate 34 is a component that limits the number of cards K that pass through the gap (opening) between the front wall 31b and the bottom 31a, and in this embodiment, only one card K passes through. The tip 34a of the reference plate 34 protrudes downward from the lower end 31ba of the front wall 31b (the upper end of the opening) (see FIG. 8). As a result, the dimension H1 of the gap between the tip 34a of the reference plate 34 and the bottom 31a of the media storage 26 is narrower than the dimension H2 of the gap between the lower end 31ba of the front wall 31b and the bottom 31a of the media storage 26.

[0032] The dimension H1 of the gap between the tip 34a of the reference plate 34 and the bottom 31a of the medium storage 26 is equal to or slightly wider than the thickness of the card K. The shape of the reference plate 34 is not particularly limited as long as it satisfies the required positional relationship with the bottom 31a. It is preferable that the left-right dimension of the tip 34a is not too wide in order to reduce the contact area with the card K (for example, less than half the left-right width of the card K). This minimizes the contact area of ​​the card K with the reference plate 34, allowing the card K to be smoothly discharged from the gate 31f.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 7, the shutter 35 is provided outside the front wall 31b near the bottom end 31ba. The shutter 35 is not fixed to the front wall 31b and is movable up and down. The shutter 35 is a component that blocks the gate 31f to prevent the card K from being unintentionally ejected when the medium storage case 26 is removed from the card unit 6. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the medium storage case 26 is removed from the card unit 6, the bottom end 35a of the shutter 35 contacts the bottom 31a and closes the gap formed between the front wall 31b and the bottom 31a.

[0034] When the medium storage 26 is attached to the card unit 6, the shutter 35 interferes with a release mechanism (not shown) formed in the card unit 6 and moves upward (in the α1 direction in FIG. 3). This causes the shutter 35 to open (expose the gate 31f) as shown in FIG. 4, allowing the card K to be ejected. As shown in FIG. 8, when the shutter 35 is in the open state, the lower end 35a of the shutter 35 is positioned slightly above the leading end 34a of the reference plate 34. On the other hand, when the medium storage 26 is removed from the card unit 6, the shutter 35 no longer interferes with the release mechanism (not shown) formed in the card unit 6 and moves downward (in the α2 direction in FIG. 4). This causes the shutter 35 to close (close the gate 31f) as shown in FIG. 3.

[0035] The peripheral configuration of the medium storage 26 will be described. The mechanism including the medium storage 26 and its peripheral configuration is referred to as the "medium storage unit." As shown in FIG. 7, a feed roller 41 is provided on the bottom 31a of the medium storage 26. When issuing a card K, the feed roller 41 is driven by a motor (not shown) to rotate in the γ direction in FIG. 7. Due to the rotation of this feed roller 41, the cards K stored in a stack in the medium storage 26 are ejected one by one from the gate 31f in order, starting with the bottom (lowest) card K.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 7, multiple (three in FIG. 7) photoelectric sensors 42 are provided in front of the shutter 35 of the medium storage case 26. The photoelectric sensors 42 are used to detect the remaining number of cards K in the medium storage case 26, and in this embodiment, detect the position of the stage 33. The stage 33 is located within the medium storage case 26 above the stacked cards K. The stage 33 is movable up and down depending on the number of cards K stored therein, and comes into contact with the top surface of the uppermost card K due to its own weight. The photoelectric sensors 42 are components of the medium storage unit.

[0037] 9 shows an external view of the stage 33. The stage 33 has a box shape (a rectangular parallelepiped shape with one side removed) that is open on the top side, and has a bottom 33a, a front wall 33b, a left wall 33c, a right wall 33d, and a rear wall 33f. The stage 33 has a prism 37 on the surface facing the photoelectric sensor 42 (here, the front wall 33b). The prism 37 is an optical element that returns light emitted from the photoelectric sensor 42 to the photoelectric sensor 42, and has a roughly triangular prism shape.

[0038] The configuration of the photoelectric sensor 42 and its surroundings will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to XX in FIG. 7. The photoelectric sensor 42 has a light-emitting portion 42j and a light-receiving portion 42k. The light-emitting portion 42j and the light-receiving portion 42k are arranged in the left-right direction. The prism 37 has a first surface 37a, a second surface 37b, and a third surface 37c. The shutter 35 has a through-hole 35g at a position corresponding to the photoelectric sensor 42. The front wall portion 31b also has a through-hole 31g at a position corresponding to the photoelectric sensor 42. As shown in FIG. 3, when the shutter 35 is closed, the positions of the through-holes 35g and 31g are misaligned in the up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 4, when the shutter 35 is opened, the positions of the through-holes 35g and 31g are aligned, and the through-holes 35g and 31g are connected to each other.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 10, light emitted from light-emitting unit 42j passes through through-holes 35g and 31g and enters prism 37 from first surface 37a. The light that enters prism 37 is reflected by second surface 37b toward third surface 37c, and is further reflected by third surface 37c toward first surface 37a, before exiting from first surface 37a. The light that exits first surface 37a passes through through-holes 35g and 31g and reaches light-receiving unit 42k. This forms the optical path indicated by the thick arrow in Fig. 10.

[0040] The control unit 27 (see FIG. 2) detects the presence of the stage 33 (i.e., the position of the stage 33 in the medium storage 26) when the light receiving unit 42k receives light. As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, three photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c are arranged vertically (in the direction of movement of the stage 33). The photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c are arranged near the bottom 31a and detect the stage 33 when the remaining number of cards K in the medium storage 26 is low (for example, the stage 33 is detected when the remaining number of cards K is several tens or less). For example, based on the detection results of the photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c, the control unit 27 displays a message on the attendant operation unit 5 (see FIG. 1) to warn that the remaining number of cards K is low. The attendant replenishes the medium storage 26 with cards K based on the message.

[0041] The first photoelectric sensor 42a disposed closest to the bottom 31a detects the stage 33 when, for example, the remaining number of cards K is between 1 and 30 (the photoelectric sensor 42a is in the "ON" state). When the first photoelectric sensor 42a is in the ON state, the control unit 27 sets, for example, the status to "remaining amount (low)." The status "remaining amount (low)" indicates that the card K needs to be replenished urgently.

[0042] The second photoelectric sensor 42b, which is disposed second closest to the bottom 31a, detects the stage 33 when, for example, the remaining number of cards K is between 10 and 50 (the photoelectric sensor 42b is in the "ON" state). When the second photoelectric sensor 42b is in the "ON" state, the control unit 27 sets, for example, the status to "remaining amount (medium)." The status "remaining amount (medium)" indicates that the card K replenishment work needs to be performed with priority.

[0043] The third photoelectric sensor 42c, which is disposed farthest from the bottom 31a, detects the stage 33 when, for example, the remaining number of cards K is 30 to 70 (the photoelectric sensor 42c is in the "ON" state). When the third photoelectric sensor 42c is in the ON state, the control unit 27 sets, for example, the status to "remaining amount (large)". The status "remaining amount (large)" is when a card K replenishment operation is recommended.

[0044] In this way, the photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, 42c can detect in stages whether the remaining number of stored cards K is less than a predetermined number. In this embodiment, the number of photoelectric sensors 42 is three, but it is sufficient if there is more than one, and for example, there may be two, four, or more.

[0045] When all three photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c are in the OFF state, this means, for example, that there are 70 or more cards K remaining. When all three photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c are in the OFF state, the control unit 27 sets the status to, for example, "normal." The "normal" status means that there is no need to replenish cards K.

[0046] The light emitted from the light-emitting portion 42j of the first photoelectric sensor 42a and the light returned from the prism 37 pass through the through-holes 35ga and 31ga shown in FIG. The light emitted from the light-emitting portion 42j of the second photoelectric sensor 42b and the light returned from the prism 37 pass through the through-holes 35gb and 31gb shown in FIG. The light emitted from the light-emitting portion 42j of the third photoelectric sensor 42c and the light returned from the prism 37 pass through the through-holes 35gc and 31gc shown in FIG.

[0047] The photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c are arranged at intervals such that there is no case where they do not detect the stage 33. In other words, when the remaining number of cards K falls below a predetermined number (for example, 70 cards), the position of the stage 33 is always detected by one of the photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c (at least one photoelectric sensor 42 is always in the ON state).

[0048] The spacing between the photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the spacing between the photoelectric sensors 42 and the dimensions of the prism 37. For example, assume that the distance L1 between the optical axis of the first photoelectric sensor 42a and the optical axis of the second photoelectric sensor 42b is the same as the distance L2 between the optical axis of the second photoelectric sensor 42b and the optical axis of the third photoelectric sensor 42c. In other words, assume that the photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction. In this case, the distances L1 and L2 between the photoelectric sensors 42 are smaller than the vertical dimension M of the prism 37. This allows at least one photoelectric sensor 42 to always be in the ON state, and in some cases, two adjacent photoelectric sensors 42 (e.g., photoelectric sensors 42a and 42b) can simultaneously form optical paths within the prism 37.

[0049] Assume that the distances L1, L2 between the photoelectric sensors 42 are different. In this case, the maximum distance at which the photoelectric sensors 42 are arranged farthest apart is made smaller than the dimension in the movement direction of the stage 33. For example, assume that the distance L2 between the photoelectric sensors 42 is greater than the distance L1 between the photoelectric sensors 42. In this case, the distance L2 between the photoelectric sensors 42 is made smaller than the dimension M in the up-down direction of the prism 37.

[0050] As shown in Figure 7, a photoelectric sensor 43 is provided below the shutter 35 of the medium storage case 26. The photoelectric sensor 43 is used to detect whether the remaining amount of cards K in the medium storage case 26 is "0 (zero)." The stage 33 has a prism 38 on the surface (here, the bottom 33a) facing the photoelectric sensor 43. The prism 38 is an optical element that returns light emitted from the photoelectric sensor 43 to the photoelectric sensor 43.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7, the photoelectric sensor 43 has a light-emitting unit 43a and a light-receiving unit 43b. The bottom 33a of the stage 33 has through-holes 31aa and 31ab at positions corresponding to the light-emitting unit 43a and the light-receiving unit 43b. Light emitted from the light-emitting unit 43a passes through the through-hole 31aa and enters the prism 38 from the first surface 38a. The light that enters the prism 38 is guided into the main body portion 38b and exits from the second surface 38c. The light that exits from the second surface 38c passes through the through-hole 31ab and reaches the light-receiving unit 43b. When the light-receiving unit 43b receives light, the control unit 27 (see FIG. 2) detects that the remaining amount of cards K in the medium storage case 26 is "0 (zero)."

[0052] As described above, in the medium storage unit according to the first embodiment, when the remaining number of cards K falls below a predetermined number (for example, 70 cards), the position of the stage 33 can always be detected by one of the photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, 42c (at least one of the photoelectric sensors 42 is in the ON state). Therefore, it is possible to clearly distinguish between cases where the remaining number of cards K falls below a predetermined number (for example, 70 cards) and cases where it does not.

[0053] 12, at the third position where the remaining number of cards K is greater than a predetermined number (for example, 70 cards), all three photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c are in the OFF state. On the other hand, at the first position or the second position where the remaining number of cards K is less than a predetermined number (for example, 70 cards), one of the three photoelectric sensors 42a, 42b, and 42c is always in the ON state. This prevents a mismatch between the status regarding the remaining number of cards K to be stored and the actual number of cards K stored, even when cards K are replenished or removed.

[0054] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, the prism 37 may straddle two photoelectric sensors 42, which may complicate the setting of the status (for example, "low remaining amount," "medium remaining amount," "high remaining amount," and "normal"). For example, in the first position shown in FIG. 12, both the first photoelectric sensor 42a and the second photoelectric sensor 42b receive light and are turned on. In this case, it is possible to set the status based on the detection results of both the first photoelectric sensor 42a and the second photoelectric sensor 42b.

[0055] In the second embodiment, an example of setting the status when the prism 37 straddles two photoelectric sensors 42, causing both photoelectric sensors 42 to be in the ON state will be described. When the status of two or more photoelectric sensors 42 changes, it is preferable to create a flow for setting the status based on the sensor with the fewer number of sheets. An example of this flow is shown in FIG. 13.

[0056] First, the control unit 27 determines whether or not there has been detection by the multiple photoelectric sensors 42 (step S11). If there has been no detection by the multiple photoelectric sensors 42, the process proceeds to determination processing based on one photoelectric sensor 42. If the result of step S11 is "Yes", the control unit 27 determines whether the first photoelectric sensor 42a detects anything (step S12). If the result of step S12 is "Yes", the control unit 27 sets the status to "remaining amount (low)" (step S13).

[0057] On the other hand, if the result of step S12 is "No", the control unit 27 determines whether there is detection by the second photoelectric sensor 42b (step S14). If the result of step S14 is "Yes", the control unit 27 sets the status to "remaining amount (medium)" (step S15). On the other hand, if the result of step S14 is "No", the control unit 27 determines whether or not there is detection by the third photoelectric sensor 42c (step S16). If the result of step S16 is "Yes", the control unit 27 sets the status to "remaining amount (large)" (step S17).

[0058] As described above, in the medium storage unit according to the second embodiment, it is possible to notify the operator that the number of cards is low when multiple photoelectric sensors 42 detect the stage 33. This makes it possible to prevent cards K from running out earlier than expected, thereby preventing sudden shutdowns of the device.

[0059] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and can be practiced within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Media processing device 2 Customer operation department 3 Ticket insertion and ejection section 4 Coin insertion and ejection section 5. Staff operation unit 6 Card Section 7 Ticketing Department 8 Banknote section 9 Coin Section 10 Coin Collection Safe 11 Power supply section 21 Inserter Unit 22 Transfer switching unit 23 Card reader unit 24 Contactless IC unit 25 Printing unit 26 Media Storage 27 Control Unit 28 Transport path 31 Frame (medium storage section) 31g,31aa,31ab through hole 32 Storage door 33 Stages 34 Reference plate 35 Shutter 35g through hole 37,38 Prism 41 Feed roller 42 Photoelectric Sensor 42j Light emitter 42k light receiving section 43 Photoelectric Sensor 43a Light projector 43b Light receiving part K Card (medium)

Claims

1. A media storage unit for storing media, a media storage section that can store the media in a stacked state and from which the media can be discharged through an opening provided in a wall section; a stage provided in the medium storage unit and movable according to the number of media stored therein; a plurality of photoelectric sensors for detecting the position of the stage; The plurality of photoelectric sensors are arranged side by side in the moving direction of the stage, The intervals at which the photoelectric sensors are arranged are set so that there is no case where the stage is not detected. A media storage unit characterized by:

2. the stage has a prism on a surface facing the photoelectric sensor, the photoelectric sensor has a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit, and receives light emitted by the light-emitting unit and returned through the prism by the light-receiving unit; a size of the prism is larger than the interval at which the photoelectric sensors are arranged so that two adjacent photoelectric sensors can simultaneously form optical paths within the prism; The media storage unit according to claim 1 .

3. the stage is disposed above the stacked media and comes into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost media due to its own weight; The media storage unit according to claim 1 .

4. Three or more of the photoelectric sensors are arranged, the maximum distance at which the photoelectric sensors are arranged farthest apart is smaller than the dimension of the stage in the moving direction; The media storage unit according to claim 1 .

5. The photoelectric sensors detect in stages whether the remaining amount of the stored media is less than a predetermined number. The media storage unit according to claim 1 .

6. Further comprising a control unit, When the stage is detected by the two photoelectric sensors, the control unit determines the remaining amount of the medium based on the result of the photoelectric sensor that detected that the remaining amount of the medium is smaller.

6. The media storage unit according to claim 5.

7. A media processing device comprising the media storage unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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