Paper sheet feeding device and automated trading device

Abstract

To prevent feeding defects while keeping costs low. [Solution] The picker roller shaft has a round rod-shaped shaft portion extending in a first direction perpendicular to the stacking and feeding directions of paper sheets, and a spherical portion provided on the shaft portion having a diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft portion. The shaft holding portion holds the picker roller on the shaft portion and holds the picker roller shaft, engaging with the picker roller shaft along the spherical portion of the picker roller shaft, and holding the picker roller shaft so that it can be tilted to one end and the other end in the axial direction of the picker roller shaft with the spherical portion as a fulcrum.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper sheet feeding device and an automatic transaction device.

Background Art

[0002] As an automatic transaction device that handles banknotes which are paper sheets, there is one equipped with a reflux type banknote deposit / withdrawal machine that recycles the deposited banknotes for withdrawal.

[0003] In such a reflux type banknote deposit / withdrawal machine, it has a storage that can store and feed out banknotes for each denomination. At the time of deposit, the banknotes inserted into the automatic transaction device are stored in the storage, and at the time of withdrawal, the banknotes are fed out from the storage and discharged from the automatic transaction device.

[0004] Here, using FIG. 20, an example of the configuration of the stacking and feeding device 300 provided in the storage will be described. In FIG. 20, the right side is the front side of the stacking and feeding device 300, the left side is the rear side of the stacking and feeding device 300, the back side is the right side of the stacking and feeding device 300, the front side is the left side of the stacking and feeding device 300, and the upper and lower sides are the upper and lower sides of the stacking and feeding device 300. That is, FIG. 20 is a side view of the stacking and feeding device 300 seen from the left side.

[0005] As shown in this FIG. 20, the stacking and feeding device 300 has an in-storage conveyance path 302 that extends rearward from the upper rear end of the banknote stacking space 301 and is connected to a conveyance path (not shown) outside the storage, and a feed roller 303 arranged above and a gate roller 304 and a separation first roller 305 arranged below, which are provided at the connection point between the banknote stacking space 301 and the in-storage conveyance path 302 and sandwich the in-storage conveyance path 302. The separation first roller 305 is provided at a position farther from the banknote stacking space 301 than the gate roller 304 (that is, on the rear side of the gate roller 304).

[0006] Furthermore, the stacking and dispensing device 300 includes a stage 306 that moves vertically within the banknote stacking space 301, and a picker roller 307 located in front of the feed roller 303 and at the upper end of the banknote stacking space 301.

[0007] The feed roller 303 is fixed to a feed roller shaft 308 that extends in the left-right direction and rotates together with the feed roller shaft 308. The feed roller shaft 308 is attached to a structure such as a frame (not shown) and rotates by a drive unit such as a motor (not shown). When dispensing banknotes, the feed roller 303 rotates clockwise in the figure in accordance with the rotation of the feed roller shaft 308.

[0008] A picker bracket 309 is rotatably attached to the feed roller shaft 308, extending from the feed roller shaft 308 to the upper end of the banknote stacking space 301 in front of it, and a picker roller shaft 310 is fixed to the front end of this picker bracket 309. In other words, the picker bracket 309 is rotatable around the feed roller shaft 308 and holds the picker roller shaft 310 so that it can move vertically along an arc centered on the feed roller shaft 308.

[0009] A picker roller 307 is rotatably mounted on the picker roller shaft 310. The rotation of the feed roller 303 is transmitted to the picker roller 307 by the picker drive belt 311, and the picker roller 307 rotates in the same direction as the feed roller 303. In addition, a picker rubber 312 is attached to a portion of the outer circumference of the picker roller 307.

[0010] When dispensing banknotes, the stacking and dispensing device 300 moves the stage 306 upward and presses the topmost banknote stacked on the stage 306 against the picker roller 307. By rotating the picker roller 307 clockwise in the diagram, the stacking and dispensing device 300 sends the banknotes stacked on the stage 306 towards the internal transport path 302. The stacking and dispensing device 300 then uses a feed roller 303, which rotates clockwise in the diagram, along with a gate roller 304 and a first separation roller 305 to separate the dispensed banknotes one by one and transport them along the internal transport path 302, dispensing them to a transport path outside the storage area.

[0011] Furthermore, the stacking and dispensing device 300 has a picker guide 313 that extends from the center in the front-to-back direction of the upper end of the banknote stacking space 301 along the upper end of the banknote stacking space 301 to the upper end of the internal transport path 302, and further extends along the upper end of the internal transport path 302. In other words, the picker guide 313 forms the upper end of the banknote stacking space 301 and the upper end of the internal transport path 302. This picker guide 313 is a component that guides banknotes so that they are transported smoothly without getting caught when they are fed from the banknote stacking space 301 to the internal transport path 302.

[0012] The picker guide 313 is rotatably mounted on the feed roller shaft 308 and is movable vertically together with the picker roller 307 and other components. The lower portion of the picker roller 307 is positioned to protrude into the banknote stacking space 301 through a hole (not shown) provided in the picker guide 313.

[0013] Furthermore, the stacking and dispensing device 300 has a position detection sensor 314 attached to a structure such as a frame (not shown). When the stacking and dispensing device 300 presses the top banknote stacked on the stage 306 against the picker roller 307, the picker guide 313 is pushed upward together with the picker roller 307. At this time, a detector 313a, which is part of the picker guide 313, reaches the detection position of the position detection sensor 314, thereby detecting that the banknote is in a position where it can be dispensed.

[0014] Furthermore, the stacking and dispensing device 300 has a separation guide 315 that extends along the rear end of the banknote stacking space 301 to the lower end of the internal transport path 302, and further extends along the lower end of the internal transport path 302. In other words, the separation guide 315 forms the rear end of the banknote stacking space 301 and the lower end of the internal transport path 302. Like the picker guide 313, this separation guide 315 is a component that guides banknotes so that they are transported smoothly without getting caught when they are fed from the banknote stacking space 301 to the internal transport path 302. The configuration of the stacking and dispensing device 300 is as described above.

[0015] Thus, in the stacking and dispensing device 300, the picker roller 307 is held so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and by rotating the picker roller 307 while it is in contact with the topmost banknote stacked on the stage 306, the banknotes stacked on the stage 306 are dispensed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0016] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 21, there is a collection and dispensing device 400 that has a configuration in which the movable parts (picker roller 307, picker bracket 309, picker roller shaft 310, picker drive belt 311, picker guide 313, detector 313a) that can move vertically by rotating around the feed roller shaft 308 are divided in the axial direction (left-right direction) of the feed roller shaft 308. Figure 21 is a front view of the collection and dispensing device 400 as seen from the front.

[0017] As shown in Figure 21, the collection and dispensing device 400 has movable parts consisting of a picker roller 307, a picker bracket 309, a picker roller shaft 310, a picker drive belt 311, a picker guide 313, and a detector 313a, each of which is divided into left and right sections, allowing the left and right movable parts to move independently.

[0018] With this configuration, even if the top surface of the banknotes stacked on the stage 306 is tilted in the axial direction (left-right direction) of the feed roller 303 due to uneven thickness or creases in each banknote BL, the left and right movable parts of the stacking and dispensing device 400 can move to follow this tilt, thereby allowing the left and right picker rollers 307 to come into contact with the top banknote stacked on the stage 306.

[0019] As a result, even if the upper surface of the banknotes BL accumulated on the stage 306 is tilted in the left-right direction, the dispensing force is applied evenly to both the left and right sides of the banknotes BL, preventing banknote dispensing defects (such as banknote skew or the picker rubber 312 missing). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0020] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-73141 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0021] However, as with the accumulating and dispensing device 400, providing a movable part that can move vertically by rotating around a feed roller, divided horizontally, presented the problem of a large number of parts and high cost.

[0022] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a paper sheet feeding device and an automatic transaction device that can prevent feeding failures while being low-cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0023] In the paper sheet feeding device of the present invention for solving such problems, in a storage space for storing paper sheets, a stage that accumulates the paper sheets and is movable in the stacking direction of the paper sheets, a picker roller that contacts the uppermost paper sheet of the paper sheets stacked on the stage and feeds out the paper sheet, a picker roller shaft that holds the picker roller, and a shaft holding portion that holds the picker roller shaft are provided. The picker roller shaft has a round bar-shaped shaft portion extending in a first direction orthogonal to the stacking direction and the feeding direction of the paper sheets, and a spherical portion provided on the shaft portion and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft portion. The picker roller is held on the shaft portion, and the shaft holding portion engages with the picker roller shaft along the spherical portion of the picker roller shaft, and holds the picker roller shaft so as to be tiltable to one end side and the other end side in the axial direction of the picker roller shaft with the spherical portion as a fulcrum.

[0024] Further, the automatic transaction device of the present invention includes the above-described paper sheet feeding device and a discharge portion that discharges the paper sheets fed out by the paper sheet feeding device.

[0025] Thus, in the present invention, by holding the picker roller shaft so as to be tiltable to one end side and the other end side in the axial direction by the shaft holding portion, even if one surface (the surface that contacts the picker roller) of the paper sheets stacked on the stage is inclined in the axial direction of the picker roller shaft, the picker roller can be surely brought into contact with the paper sheets, so that feeding failures of the paper sheets can be prevented.

[0026] In addition, since the present invention is configured to hold one picker roller shaft in a tiltable manner, compared with a configuration in which the picker roller shaft is axially divided and each is held independently, the number of components can be reduced and the configuration can be simplified.

Effects of the Invention

[0027] The present invention can realize a paper sheet feeding device and an automatic transaction device that can prevent feeding failures while being low-cost.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] It is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the automatic transaction device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a side view showing the internal configuration of the banknote depositing and withdrawing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a side view when the integrated feeding device according to the first embodiment is viewed from the left side. [Figure 4] It is a top view when the integrated feeding device according to the first embodiment is viewed from the upper side. [Figure 5] It is a front view when the integrated feeding device according to the first embodiment is viewed from the front side. [[ID=​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​This is a diagram illustrating the feeding operation (2) of the accumulation feeding device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a diagram illustrating the feeding operation (3) of the accumulation feeding device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a front view of the picker drive pulley and picker roller shaft as seen from the front, according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a top view of a conventional stacking and dispensing device, seen from above. [Figure 16] This is a side view of the stacking and dispensing device (during banknote dispensing) according to the second embodiment, as seen from the left side. [Figure 17] This is a side view of the stacking and dispensing device (during banknote delivery) according to the second embodiment, as seen from the left side. [Figure 18] This is a top view of the accumulation and dispensing device according to the second embodiment, as seen from above. [Figure 19] This is a top view of the comparison device, as seen from above. [Figure 20] This is a side view of a conventional stacking and dispensing device, seen from the left side. [Figure 21] This is a front view of a conventional stacking and dispensing device, as seen from the front. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The embodiments for carrying out the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0030] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Configuration of the automated trading system] As shown in Figure 1, which illustrates an example of its external appearance, the automated trading device 1 according to the first embodiment is primarily composed of a box-shaped enclosure 2. This automated trading device 1 is installed, for example, in a financial institution and is used to conduct cash-related transactions such as deposit and withdrawal transactions with users (i.e., customers of the financial institution).

[0031] The casing 2 has a customer service area 3 located at the front, in a position that makes it easy for customers to insert banknotes and operate the touch panel while facing the casing. The customer service area 3 is equipped with a card slot 4, a deposit / withdrawal slot 5, an operation display 6, a keypad 7, and a receipt issuing slot 8, and is designed to allow direct exchange of cash and passbooks with customers, as well as to notify them of transaction information and receive operating instructions.

[0032] The card slot 4 is where various cards, such as cash cards, are inserted or ejected. Inside the housing of the card slot 4 is a card processing unit (not shown) that reads account numbers and other information magnetically recorded on the various cards. The deposit / withdrawal slot 5 is where banknotes deposited by customers are inserted and banknotes withdrawn to customers are ejected. The deposit / withdrawal slot 5 is opened or closed by driving a shutter.

[0033] The operation display unit 6 is a touch panel that integrates an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for displaying the operation screen during transactions, and a touch sensor for selecting the type of transaction and entering the PIN and transaction amount. The numeric keypad 7 is a physical key that accepts input of numbers from "0" to "9" and is used when entering the PIN and transaction amount. The receipt issuing slot 8 is the part that issues a receipt with the transaction details printed on it when the transaction processing is completed. Incidentally, a receipt processing unit (not shown) that prints the transaction details on the receipt is located behind the receipt issuing slot 8.

[0034] In the following explanation, the side of the automated trading device 1 that the customer faces will be referred to as the front, and the opposite side as the rear. The top, bottom, left, and right sides, as viewed from the customer facing the front, will be defined as the upper side, lower side, left side, and right side, respectively.

[0035] Inside the enclosure 2 are a main control unit 9 that provides overall control of the automated trading device 1, and a banknote deposit / withdrawal machine 10 that performs various processes related to banknotes.

[0036] The banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 10 is a so-called recycling type that recycles deposited banknotes into withdrawn banknotes. As shown in Figure 2, a side view of the inside of the banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 10 viewed from the left, the upper part is equipped with a deposit and withdrawal section 20 for receiving and exchanging banknotes with customers via a deposit and withdrawal slot 5 (see Figure 1), an authentication section 21 for determining denomination, correctness, authenticity, front / back, double-feeding, etc., a temporary holding section 22 for temporarily storing banknotes that have been identified as normal, and a reject box 23 for storing banknotes that have been identified as abnormal by the authentication section 21 or banknotes that are not eligible for recycling.

[0037] Furthermore, the banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 10 is provided with a box-shaped lower frame 24 at its bottom, and multiple storage compartments 25 (25A to 25E) capable of storing and dispensing banknotes for each denomination, and a reject compartment 26 are loaded in the front-to-back direction into this lower frame 24. The storage compartments 25 (25A to 25E) and the reject compartment 26 may be fixed to the lower frame 24, or they may be detachable and attachable to the lower frame 24. In addition, the banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 10 has a transport path 27, shown by a thick line in the figure, which connects the various parts, and a transport section 28 that transports banknotes along this transport path 27.

[0038] The deposit / withdrawal unit 20 is equipped with a stacking and dispensing device 20A that separates the banknotes stored inside one by one and feeds them to the transport path 27, and also collects the banknotes that are sent along the transport path 27 inside. The deposit / withdrawal unit 20 is also equipped with a shutter (not shown) that is linked to the shutter (not shown) of the deposit / withdrawal opening 5 (Figure 1) provided on the housing 2.

[0039] The identification unit 21 is installed at a predetermined location on the transport path 27 and reads various information from each banknote using various sensors built inside. Based on the information obtained, it determines the denomination of the banknote, whether it is genuine or damaged, whether it is authentic or not, whether it is face up or face down, and whether it is double-feeded.

[0040] The temporary holding section 22 employs, for example, a tape escrow system, which temporarily stores banknotes that are sent along the transport path 27 by wrapping them together with tape around the circumferential surface of a cylindrical drum, and then peels off the banknotes wrapped around this circumferential surface along with the tape and feeds them back onto the transport path 27.

[0041] Each storage compartment 25 (25A to 25E) has a similar configuration and is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the vertical direction. Each storage compartment 25 (25A to 25E) is equipped with a collection and dispensing device 30 (30A to 30E) that collects banknotes inside and dispenses the collected banknotes to the outside. Each storage compartment 25 (25A to 25E) has a predetermined set of banknote denominations to be stored, and when banknotes that have been correctly identified by the authentication unit 21 are transported along the transport path 27 according to their denomination, they are collected and stored inside. Each storage compartment 25 (25A to 25E) also separates the collected banknotes one by one and dispenses them to the transport path 27.

[0042] The reject compartments 23 and 26 are each formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and are equipped with stacking devices 23A and 26A for accumulating banknotes inside. When banknotes that have been identified as abnormal by the identification unit 21 or banknotes that are not eligible for recycling are transported along the transport path 27, the reject compartments 23 and 26 accumulate and store them inside. In the example shown in Figure 2, the reject compartment 26 is larger than the reject compartment 23 and can store a larger number of banknotes.

[0043] The conveying unit 28 transports banknotes along the conveying path 27 to each section using conveying rollers, conveying belts, etc. The conveying unit 28 is configured, for example, to transport banknotes in a direction where the shorter side of the banknote is the direction of transport.

[0044] The configuration of the banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 10 is as described above. Here, we will briefly explain the operation of the deposit and withdrawal processes performed by the banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 10.

[0045] When a customer inserts a cash card or the like into the automatic transaction device 1 and selects a deposit transaction via the operation display unit 6, the banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 10 opens the shutter of the deposit and withdrawal section 20.

[0046] Subsequently, when a customer inserts banknotes into the deposit / withdrawal section 20, the banknote deposit / withdrawal machine 10 closes its shutter and transports the inserted banknotes one by one to the authentication section 21. If the banknotes transported from the deposit / withdrawal section 20 are correctly identified by the authentication section 21, these banknotes are transported to the temporary holding section 22 for storage. On the other hand, banknotes that are abnormally identified by the authentication section 21 as banknotes unsuitable for deposit and therefore rejected are returned to the deposit / withdrawal section 20, and the shutter is opened to return them to the customer.

[0047] After the deposit amount is confirmed by the customer's operation, the banknote deposit / discharge machine 10 transports the banknotes stored in the temporary holding section 22 to the identification section 21 to determine their denomination. The banknote deposit / discharge machine 10 then transports the identified banknotes to the storage compartment 25 corresponding to their denomination for storage.

[0048] On the other hand, during a withdrawal transaction, the banknote deposit / withdrawal machine 10 recognizes the required number of banknotes of each denomination according to the requested amount when the customer inserts a cash card or the like into the automatic transaction device 1, selects a withdrawal transaction via the operation display unit 6, and then enters a PIN, withdrawal amount, etc. Then, according to the number of banknotes of each denomination required for the customer's requested amount, it dispenses banknotes one by one from each storage compartment 25 (25A~25E) and transports them to the authentication unit 21.

[0049] Here, the banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 10 transports banknotes that have been identified as normal by the authentication unit 21 to the deposit and withdrawal unit 20, while transporting banknotes that have been identified as unsuitable for withdrawal as rejected banknotes by the authentication unit 21 to the temporary holding unit 22 for storage.

[0050] Then, when the banknote deposit / withdrawal machine 10 has accumulated enough banknotes to cover the withdrawal amount in the deposit / withdrawal section 20, it opens the shutter. This makes the banknotes accumulated in the deposit / withdrawal section 20 available for the customer to receive. The customer then takes these banknotes. After that, the banknote deposit / withdrawal machine 10 transports any rejected banknotes stored in the temporary holding section 22 to the reject storage area 23 or the reject storage area 26 for storage. In this way, the banknote deposit / withdrawal machine 10 performs banknote deposit and withdrawal processing.

[0051] [1-2. Configuration of the Accumulation and Dispensing Device] Next, we will describe the configuration of the accumulation and dispensing devices 30 (30A to 30E) provided in each storage compartment 25 (25A to 25E). Since each storage compartment 25A to 25E is equipped with an accumulation and dispensing device 30A to 30E with the same configuration, we will describe the configuration of the accumulation and dispensing device 30A provided in storage compartment 25A as an example.

[0052] Figure 3 shows a side view of the accumulating and dispensing device 30A viewed from the left side, Figure 4 shows a top view of the accumulating and dispensing device 30A viewed from above, and Figure 5 shows a front view of the accumulating and dispensing device 30A viewed from the front. Note that Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view taken by cutting off the left side of the dotted line L1 which indicates the center in the left-right direction of the accumulating and dispensing device 30A shown in Figure 4. Also, Figures 3 to 5 are diagrams that have been partially omitted or simplified.

[0053] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the stacking and dispensing device 30A is located at the top of a vertically elongated, box-shaped banknote stacking space 40. The stacking and dispensing device 30A includes an internal transport path 41 that extends rearward from the upper rear end of the banknote stacking space 40 and connects to a transport path 27 (see Figure 2) outside the storage compartment 25A, a feed roller 42 located at the connection point between the banknote stacking space 40 and the internal transport path 41 and positioned above the internal transport path 41, and a gate roller 43 and a first separation roller 44 positioned below it. The first separation roller 44 is located further away from the banknote stacking space 40 than the gate roller 43 (i.e., behind the gate roller 43).

[0054] Furthermore, the stacking and dispensing device 30A includes a stage 45 that can move vertically within the banknote stacking space 40 to stack banknotes BL, and a picker roller 46 located in front of the feed roller 42 and at the upper end of the banknote stacking space 40.

[0055] The feed roller 42 is fixed to a feed roller shaft 47 that extends in the left-right direction and rotates together with the feed roller shaft 47. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a total of two feed rollers 42 are fixed to the feed roller shaft 47, one at one end (left side) and the other end, relative to the axial center (indicated by the dotted line L1).

[0056] This feed roller shaft 47 is attached to a structure such as a frame (not shown) and rotates by a drive unit such as a motor (not shown). When dispensing banknotes, the feed roller 42 rotates in the clockwise direction in Figure 3 in accordance with the rotation of the feed roller shaft 47.

[0057] Furthermore, a feed shaft drive transmission pulley 48 is fixed to the feed roller shaft 47 by a pin 49 in the axial central portion (i.e., between the two feed rollers 42). This feed shaft drive transmission pulley 48 rotates in the same direction as the feed rollers 42.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4 (omitted in Figures 3 and 5), picker guide pivot bearings 50 are attached to both axial ends of the feed roller shaft 47, and the picker guide 51 is rotatably mounted via these picker guide pivot bearings 50. This allows the picker guide 51 to move vertically along an arc centered on the feed roller shaft 47. In addition, a detector 51a is formed on the front right end of the picker guide 51.

[0059] As shown in Figure 3, the picker guide 51 extends from the center of the upper end of the banknote stacking space 40 in the front-to-back direction, along the upper end of the banknote stacking space 40, towards the upper end of the internal transport path 41, and further along the upper end of the internal transport path 41. In other words, the picker guide 51 forms the rear part of the upper end of the banknote stacking space 40 and the lower end of the internal transport path 41. This picker guide 51 is a component that guides banknotes BL so that they are transported smoothly without getting caught when they are sent from the banknote stacking space 40 to the internal transport path 41.

[0060] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, a bearing catch 51b is provided on the upper front side of the picker guide 51 (opposite the banknote stacking space 40). In Figure 3, for clarity, only the outer shape of the bearing catch 51b is shown with a dotted line. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, a picker rotation bearing 52 is attached to this bearing catch 51b. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view obtained by cutting out a part of Figure 5 (specifically, the front part of the picker rotation bearing 52 and the front part of the picker drive pulley 53, which will be described later).

[0061] There are two bearing catches 51b, one on the left and one on the right side near the center of the picker guide 51 in the left-right direction (indicated by the dotted line L1), and a picker rotation bearing 52 is attached to each of them.

[0062] Furthermore, a picker drive pulley 53 is mounted on the picker guide 51 via two picker rotation bearings 52 on the left and right sides, so as to be rotatable with the rotation axis in the left-right direction. This picker drive pulley 53 consists of a cylindrical central portion 53a and cylindrical end portions 53b, which are smaller in diameter than the central portion 53a, provided at one end and the other end of the central portion 53a in the axial direction.

[0063] The picker drive pulley 53 is rotatably held in the left-right central part of the picker guide 51 by having its left and right ends 53b inserted into the left and right picker rotation bearings 52, with its axial direction being left-right.

[0064] Furthermore, a picker roller shaft 54 ​​extending in the left-right direction is engaged with this picker drive pulley 53, and a picker roller 46 is attached to this picker roller shaft 54.

[0065] Here, we will explain in more detail the configuration of the picker drive pulley 53 and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​using Figures 7 to 10. Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the engagement portion of the picker drive pulley 53 and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a top view of the picker drive pulley 53 and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​as seen from above. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the shape of the upper half of the picker drive pulley 53, and Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the shape of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​near its axial center.

[0066] As shown in Figures 7, 8, and 10, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​consists of a round rod-shaped shaft portion 54a extending in the left-right direction, and a spherical portion 54b provided at a predetermined location on the shaft portion 54a (near the axial center) and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 54a. The picker roller shaft 54 ​​has a shape in which the spherical surface of the spherical portion 54b protrudes from the outer circumference of the shaft portion 54a, with the shaft portion 54a passing through the center of the spherical portion 54b. In other words, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​has a shape in which a portion of the round rod-shaped shaft portion 54a is bulging into a spherical shape.

[0067] Furthermore, grooves 54c are formed on the spherical surface of the spherical portion 54b, cut out along the axial direction (left-right direction) of the shaft portion 54a. These grooves 54c are formed, for example, on one end (upper side in Figure 7) and the other end (lower side in Figure 7) of the spherical portion 54b in the diametrical direction.

[0068] This groove 54c has a depth of D1 along the diametrical direction (vertical direction in Figure 7) of the spherical portion 54b, a length of D2 along the axial direction (left-right direction) of the shaft portion 54a, and a length of D3 in the width direction (front-back direction in Figure 7) perpendicular to the depth and axial direction. Note that the length D3 in the width direction is smaller than, for example, the length D2 in the axial direction.

[0069] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, the picker drive pulley 53 has a spherical recess 53c formed on the inner circumference side of the central portion 53a, which has a diameter slightly larger than the spherical portion 54b of the picker roller shaft 54. This spherical recess 53c is shaped to conform to the spherical surface of the spherical portion 54b. In other words, the picker drive pulley 53 is designed so that the spherical portion 54b of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​fits inside the recess 53c provided on the inner circumference side of the central portion 53a.

[0070] Furthermore, cylindrical projections 53d are provided on one end and the other end of the spherical recess 53c in the diametrical direction, projecting toward the center of the spherical recess 53c. These cylindrical projections 53d have a height D4 and a diameter D5 along the diametrical direction of the spherical recess 53c.

[0071] The height D4 of the projection 53d is smaller than the depth D1 of the groove 54c of the spherical portion 54b of the picker roller shaft 54, and the diameter D5 of the projection 53d is slightly smaller than the widthwise length D3 of the groove 54c of the spherical portion 54b. The projection 53d is the part that is inserted into the groove 54c of the spherical portion 54b.

[0072] Furthermore, the inner diameter D6 of the left and right ends 53b of the picker drive pulley 53 is larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 54a of the picker roller shaft 54. The portions of the shaft portion 54a of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​located on both sides of the spherical portion 54b are inserted through the inner circumference of the left and right ends 53b of the picker drive pulley 53.

[0073] The configuration of the picker drive pulley 53 and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​is as described above. The spherical portion 54b of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​fits into a spherical recess 53c provided on the inner circumference side of the central portion 53a of the picker drive pulley 53, and the projection 53d that protrudes from the spherical recess 53c is inserted into the groove 54c of the spherical portion 54b.

[0074] Furthermore, a portion of the shaft portion 54a of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​(the portion located on both sides of the spherical portion 54b) is inserted through the inner circumference of the ends 53b located on both sides of the central portion 53a of the picker drive pulley 53. In this way, the picker drive pulley 53 and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​engage with each other.

[0075] The picker drive pulley 53 is composed of two parts that are divided in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (left-right direction), and each of the two parts is provided with one projection 53d. The picker roller shaft 54 ​​is attached to the picker drive pulley 53 so as to be sandwiched between the two parts that make up the picker drive pulley 53. Figure 9 shows one of the two parts that make up the picker drive pulley 53.

[0076] When the picker roller shaft 54 ​​is attached to the picker drive pulley 53, the projection 53d of the picker drive pulley 53 is inserted into the groove 54c of the spherical portion 54b, so that the rotation of the picker drive pulley 53 is transmitted via the projection 53d and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​rotates together with the picker drive pulley 53.

[0077] As shown in Figure 6, two picker rollers 46 are fixed to the picker roller shaft 54, one at each end of the axial direction, with the spherical portion 54b in between. These picker rollers 46 rotate together with the picker roller shaft 54.

[0078] The picker roller 46 is a two-wheeled roller with a cylindrical portion (referred to as a small-diameter portion) 46b having a smaller outer diameter than the large-diameter portion 46a, located between two cylindrical portions (referred to as large-diameter portions) 46a. Picker rubber 55 is attached to a portion of the outer circumference of the two large-diameter portions 46a. The lower portion of the large-diameter portion 46a of the picker roller 46 is positioned to protrude into the banknote stacking space 40 through a hole (not shown) provided in the picker guide 51.

[0079] Furthermore, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​has a spherical portion 54b housed in a spherical recess 53c provided in the picker drive pulley 53, and the diameter of the shaft portion 54a is smaller than the inner diameter D6 of the end portion 53b of the picker drive pulley 53, so that it can tilt in any direction around this spherical portion 54b.

[0080] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the picker guide 51 is provided with two shaft tilt restricting ribs 51c that are positioned to sandwich one end of the shaft portion 54a of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​(the portion located to the left of the left picker roller 46) in the front-rear direction.

[0081] The two shaft tilt restricting ribs 51c are spaced slightly apart from the diameter of the shaft portion 54a of the picker roller shaft 54, and one end of the shaft portion 54a of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​is inserted between these two shaft tilt restricting ribs 51c.

[0082] The shaft tilt restricting rib 51c restricts the tilt direction of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​to the vertical direction. In other words, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​can tilt around the spherical portion 54b such that one end in the axial direction is positioned lower than the other end, and vice versa. On the other hand, even if the picker roller shaft 54 ​​tries to tilt around the spherical portion 54b such that one end in the axial direction is positioned forward or backward than the other end, the shaft tilt restricting rib 51c prevents this movement. Therefore, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​cannot tilt around the spherical portion 54b such that one end in the axial direction is positioned forward or backward than the other end.

[0083] In this manner, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​can rotate together with the picker drive pulley 53 and can also tilt axially to one end (left side) and the other end (right side) around the spherical portion 54b.

[0084] Furthermore, a picker drive belt 56 is stretched between the feed shaft drive transmission pulley 48 and the picker drive pulley 53, and the rotation of the feed shaft drive transmission pulley 48 is transmitted to the picker drive pulley 53 via this picker drive belt 56. As a result, the rotation of the feed roller shaft 47 is transmitted to the picker roller shaft 54, causing the feed roller 42 and the picker roller 46 to rotate in the same direction.

[0085] Furthermore, the stacking and dispensing device 30A has a position detection sensor 57 attached to a structure such as a frame (not shown). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the stacking and dispensing device 30A has a separation guide 58 that extends along the rear end of the banknote stacking space 40 to the lower end of the internal transport path 41, and further extends along the lower end of the internal transport path 41. In other words, the separation guide 58 forms the rear end of the banknote stacking space 40 and the lower end of the internal transport path 41. This separation guide 58, like the picker guide 51, is a component that guides banknotes so that they are transported smoothly without getting caught when they are fed from the banknote stacking space 40 to the internal transport path 41. The configuration of the stacking and dispensing device 30A is as described above.

[0086] [1-3. Feed operation by the integrated feed device] Next, we will explain the dispensing operation when dispensing banknotes BL by the stacking and dispensing device 30 (30A~30E). Here again, as an example, we will explain the dispensing operation by the stacking and dispensing device 30A installed in the storage compartment 25A.

[0087] The stacking and dispensing device 30A shown in Figure 5 is in the state before dispensing banknotes, with banknotes BL stacked on the stage 45 and the banknotes BL separated from the picker roller 46. At this time, the picker roller 46 is assumed to be stopped with the picker rubber 55 at its lower end.

[0088] At this time, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​is almost horizontal. However, depending on the previous operation, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​may be tilted to one end or the other end in the axial direction (i.e., tilted in the left-right direction). Figure 5 shows an example where the picker roller shaft 54 ​​is horizontal.

[0089] Furthermore, due to variations in the thickness and creases of individual banknotes, the top surfaces of the banknote BLs piled on stage 45 may be tilted from side to side. Figure 5 shows an example where the top surface of the banknote BLs is tilted so that the left side is lower and the right side is higher.

[0090] When dispensing banknotes from this state, the stacking and dispensing device 30A first moves the stage 45 upward. Here, if the picker roller shaft 54 ​​is nearly horizontal and the upper surface of the banknotes stacked on the stage 45 is inclined in the left-right direction, when the stage 45 is moved upward, as shown in Figure 11, one of the four picker rubbers 55 of the two picker rollers 46 attached to the picker roller shaft 54 ​​(for example, the picker rubber 55 on the far right) comes into contact with the inclined upper surface of the banknotes.

[0091] If the stage 45 is moved further upward from this point, as shown in Figure 12, the rightmost picker rubber 55 that is in contact with the top surface of the banknote BL is pushed upward, causing the picker roller shaft 54 ​​to tilt until it is almost parallel to the top surface of the banknote BL. At this time, all four picker rubbers 55 of the two picker rollers 46 attached to the picker roller shaft 54 ​​come into contact with the top surface of the banknote BL.

[0092] In this case, as shown in Figure 7, the two protrusions 53d on the picker drive pulley 53 are positioned opposite each other in the vertical direction, and the two grooves 54c on the spherical portion 54b of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​are also positioned opposite each other in the vertical direction. In this case, the depth D1 of the grooves 54c is deeper than the height D4 of the protrusions 53d, and a gap is formed in the vertical direction between the protrusions 53d and the bottom of the grooves 54c. As a result, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​can tilt around the spherical portion 54b relative to the picker drive pulley 53, for example, in the direction indicated by the thick arrow in the figure.

[0093] Next, if the stage 45 is moved further upward from the state shown in Figure 12, the four picker rubbers 55 are pushed upward while the picker roller shaft 54 ​​remains tilted, thereby pushing the picker roller shaft 54, the picker drive pulley 53, and the picker guide 51 upward.

[0094] Then, as shown in Figure 13, when the stacking and dispensing device 30A detects that the banknotes BL are in a dispensing position when the detector 51a of the picker guide 51 reaches the detection position of the position detection sensor 57, it stops the stage 45 and rotates the feed roller shaft 47 in the clockwise direction as shown in Figure 3.

[0095] When the feed roller shaft 47 is rotated, the picker drive pulley 53 rotates via the picker drive belt 56. At this time, the projection 53d of the picker drive pulley 53 contacts the wall surface on the rotational side of the groove 54c of the picker roller shaft 54, so that the rotation of the picker drive pulley 53 is transmitted to the picker roller shaft 54 ​​and the picker roller 46 rotates. As a result, the banknotes BL accumulated on the stage 45 are sent out to the internal transport path 41. The accumulation and dispensing device 30A then uses the feed roller 42, gate roller 43 and separation first roller 44 to separate the dispensed banknotes BL one by one and transport them along the internal transport path 41, and then dispense them to the transport path 27 outside the storage compartment 25A.

[0096] At this time, as shown in Figure 14, a front view of the picker drive pulley 53 and picker roller shaft 54 ​​as seen from the front, as the picker drive pulley 53 rotates, the two protrusions 53d provided on the picker drive pulley 53 move from positions where they are opposite each other in the vertical direction to positions where they are opposite each other in the front-rear direction. In conjunction with this, the two grooves 54c provided on the spherical portion 54b of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​also move from positions where they are opposite each other in the vertical direction to positions where they are opposite each other in the front-rear direction. In this case, because the shape of the protrusions 53d is cylindrical, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​can tilt relative to the picker drive pulley 53 around the spherical portion 54b.

[0097] In this way, the picker drive pulley 53 and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​are engaged so that the picker roller shaft 54 ​​can rotate while remaining in an inclined position. The feeding operation by the accumulation and feeding device 30A is as described above.

[0098] [1-4. Summary and Effects] As explained above, in the first embodiment, the automated trading device 1 is provided with a storage compartment 25 for storing banknotes, which are an example of paper materials, and a deposit / withdrawal compartment 20, which is an example of an ejection compartment for ejecting banknotes dispensed from the storage compartment 25. Furthermore, the storage compartment 25 is provided with a collection and dispensing device 30, which serves as a paper material collection device for accumulating banknotes inside and dispensing the banknotes accumulated inside.

[0099] Furthermore, the stacking and dispensing device 30 is provided with a stage 45 that stacks banknotes within a banknote stacking space 40, which is an example of a storage space, and is movable in the direction of banknote stacking; a picker roller 46 that contacts the top banknote stacked on the stage 45 and dispenses the banknote; a picker roller shaft 54 ​​that holds the picker roller 46; and a picker drive pulley 53, which is an example of a shaft holding part that holds the picker roller shaft 54.

[0100] Furthermore, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​has a round rod-shaped shaft portion 54a extending in the left-right direction, which is a first direction perpendicular to the banknote stacking direction and dispensing direction, and a spherical portion 54b provided on the shaft portion 54a and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 54a, and the shaft portion 54a holds at least two picker rollers 46 spaced apart in the axial direction.

[0101] Furthermore, the picker drive pulley 53 engages with the picker roller shaft 54 ​​along the spherical portion 54b of the picker roller shaft 54, and holds the picker roller shaft 54 ​​so that it can tilt to one end and the other end in the axial direction of the picker roller shaft 54, with the spherical portion 54b as the pivot point.

[0102] In other words, the picker drive pulley 53 has a central portion 53a having a spherical recess 53c that accommodates the spherical portion 54b of the picker roller shaft 54, and end portions 53b located on both the left and right sides of the spherical portion 54b through which the shaft portions 54a are inserted. The picker drive pulley 53 engages with the picker roller shaft 54 ​​such that the spherical portion 54b is housed in the recess 53c and the shaft portions 54a are inserted through the end portions 53b, and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​is held so as to be able to tilt to one end and the other end in the axial direction of the picker roller shaft 54, with the spherical portion 54b as the pivot point.

[0103] Furthermore, the stacking and dispensing device 30 is equipped with a shaft tilt restricting rib 51c, which is an example of a shaft tilt restricting part that restricts the tilt of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​so that one end and the other end of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​in the axial direction can move only in the vertical direction, which is the direction in which banknotes are stacked.

[0104] In this way, the stacking and dispensing device 30 holds the picker roller shaft 54 ​​so that it can tilt axially to one end and the other end by the picker drive pulley 53. As a result, even if the upper surface of the banknotes stacked on the stage 45 is tilted in the axial direction of the picker roller shaft 54, the picker roller 46 reliably contacts the upper surface of the banknotes stack, and the dispensing force is applied evenly to the axial end and the other end of the picker roller shaft 54 ​​on the banknotes stack, thus preventing banknote dispensing defects.

[0105] Furthermore, the accumulation and dispensing device 30 is configured such that the picker drive pulley 53 is rotatable with the left-right direction, which is the first direction, as the axis of rotation, and the picker drive pulley 53 and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​are engaged by inserting a cylindrical projection 53d provided in the recess 53c of the picker drive pulley 53 into a groove 54c provided in the spherical portion 54b of the picker roller shaft 54, and when the rotation of the feed roller shaft 47 is transmitted to the picker drive pulley 53 via the picker drive belt 56, which is an example of a transmission member, the picker drive pulley 53 rotates, and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​rotates in conjunction with it.

[0106] In this way, the accumulation and dispensing device 30 can transmit rotation to the picker roller shaft 54 ​​while holding it in a tiltable position with a single picker drive pulley 53. This reduces the number of parts compared to a case where the part that holds the picker roller shaft 54 ​​in a tiltable position and the part that transmits rotation to the picker roller shaft 54 ​​are provided separately.

[0107] Furthermore, since the accumulation and dispensing device 30 is configured to hold a single picker roller shaft 54 ​​in a tiltable manner, the number of parts can be reduced and the configuration simplified compared to the configuration shown in Figure 21, in which the picker roller shaft 310 is divided axially and each is held independently.

[0108] In fact, in the case of a collection and dispensing device 400 having a configuration in which the picker roller shaft 310 is divided axially and each is held independently, as shown in Figure 15, a top view, a total of 22 parts are required: two picker brackets 309, two picker roller shafts 310, two picker drive belts 311, two picker guides 313, two position detection sensors 314, four picker bracket pivot bearings 316 provided between the feed roller shaft 308 and the picker bracket 309, two feed shaft drive transmission pulleys 317 attached to the feed roller shaft 308 and over which the picker drive belts 311 are stretched, two pins (not shown in the figure) for attaching the feed shaft drive transmission pulleys 317 to the feed roller shaft 308, and four picker roller rotation bearings 318 provided between the picker roller 307 and the picker roller shaft 310.

[0109] In contrast, the accumulating and dispensing device 30 of this embodiment requires a total of 12 parts: one picker roller shaft 54, one picker drive belt 56, one picker guide 51, one position detection sensor 57, two picker guide pivot bearings 50, one feed shaft drive transmission pulley 48, one pin 49, two picker rotation bearings 52, and two picker drive pulleys 53 due to their split structure.

[0110] Thus, the integrated feeding device 30 of this embodiment can significantly reduce the number of parts compared to the integrated feeding device 400.

[0111] Furthermore, in the case of the stacking and dispensing device 400, as shown in Figure 21, since the two picker roller shafts 310 move independently in the vertical direction, if the upper surface of the banknotes stacked on the stage 306 is inclined, only, for example, two of the four picker rubbers 312 will contact the upper surface of the banknotes.

[0112] In contrast, in the case of the stacking and dispensing device 30 of this embodiment, the picker roller shaft 54 ​​is tilted to match the slope of the upper surface of the banknotes BL stacked on the stage 306. Therefore, even if the upper surface of the banknotes BL stacked on the stage 306 is sloped, all four picker rubbers 55 make contact with the upper surface of the banknotes BL. For this reason, the stacking and dispensing device 30 of this embodiment can dispense banknotes more stably compared to the stacking and dispensing device 400.

[0113] [2. Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. This second embodiment is an embodiment in which the configuration of the accumulation and dispensing device 30 provided in the storage unit 25 is applied to the accumulation and dispensing device 20A provided in the deposit and withdrawal unit 20. For this reason, only the configuration of the accumulation and dispensing device 20A will be described here, and the parts other than the accumulation and dispensing device 20A will be omitted from the description as they are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0114] [2-1. Configuration of the Accumulation and Dispensing Device] Figures 16 and 17 show a side view of the accumulating and dispensing device 20A as seen from the left, and Figure 18 shows a top view of the accumulating and dispensing device 20A as seen from above. Figures 16 to 18 show the main parts of the accumulating and dispensing device 20A, with some parts omitted.

[0115] The basic configuration of the stacking and dispensing device 20A is the same as that of the stacking and dispensing device 30, so a detailed explanation of the identical parts will be omitted. In the stacking and dispensing device 30, the stacking direction of banknotes was vertical and the dispensing direction was backward, whereas in the stacking and dispensing device 20A, the stacking direction of banknotes is front-to-back and the dispensing direction is downward.

[0116] This stacking and dispensing device 20A includes an internal transport path 101 that extends downward from the lower front end of the banknote stacking space 100 and connects to a transport path 27 (see Figure 2) outside the deposit / discharge section 20, a feed roller 102 located at the connection point between the banknote stacking space 100 and the internal transport path 101 and positioned on the front side of the internal transport path 101, and a gate roller 103 and a first separation roller 104 positioned on the rear side.

[0117] Furthermore, the stacking and dispensing device 20A includes a bill press 105 that can move in the front-to-back direction within the banknote stacking space 100 and corresponds to the stage 45 of the stacking and dispensing device 30, a pool guide 106 that can move in the front-to-back direction in front of the bill press 105, and a picker roller 107 located at the front end of the banknote stacking space 100 above the feed roller 102.

[0118] In the stacking and dispensing device 20A, banknotes are stacked between the bill press 105 and the pool guide 106. The positions of the bill press 105 and pool guide 106 shown in Figure 16 are the positions when dispensing banknotes, at which time the pool guide 106 is located at the front end of the banknote stacking space 100. On the other hand, the positions of the bill press 105 and pool guide 106 shown in Figure 17 are the positions when handing over banknotes to the customer, at which time the pool guide 106 is located behind the front end of the banknote stacking space 100.

[0119] As shown in Figure 18, the feed roller 102 is fixed to a feed roller shaft 108 that extends in the left-right direction.

[0120] Furthermore, a feed shaft drive transmission pulley 109 is fixed to the feed roller shaft 108 by a pin 110 (see Figure 16) in the axial central portion (i.e., between the two feed rollers 102).

[0121] Furthermore, picker holding bracket pivot bearings 111 are attached to both ends of the feed roller shaft 108 in the axial direction, and a picker holding bracket 112 is rotatably attached via these picker holding bracket pivot bearings 111. This picker holding bracket 112 is a component corresponding to the picker guide 51 of the collection and dispensing device 30, and extends in the vertical direction, and is movable in the front-rear direction along an arc centered on the feed roller shaft 108. In addition, a detector 112a is formed on the front right end of the picker holding bracket 112.

[0122] A bearing catch 112b is provided on the upper rear side of the picker holding bracket 112 (opposite side from the banknote stacking space 100), and a picker rotation bearing (not shown in the diagram) is attached to this bearing catch 112b.

[0123] Furthermore, a picker drive pulley 113 is rotatably mounted to the picker holding bracket 112 via a picker rotation bearing. A picker roller shaft 114 extending in the left-right direction is engaged with this picker drive pulley 113, and a picker roller 107 is attached to this picker roller shaft 114. A picker rubber 115 (see Figure 16) is also attached to the picker roller 107.

[0124] The configuration of the picker drive pulley 113 and the picker roller shaft 114 is the same as that of the picker drive pulley 53 and the picker roller shaft 54 ​​of the accumulation and dispensing device 30. In other words, the picker roller shaft 114 can rotate together with the picker drive pulley 113 and can also tilt axially to one end (left side) and the other end (right side) around the spherical part (omitted in the figure).

[0125] Furthermore, the picker holding bracket 112 has a shaft tilt restricting groove 112c that clamps one end of the shaft portion of the picker roller shaft 114 in the vertical direction. This shaft tilt restricting groove 112c corresponds to the shaft tilt restricting rib 51c of the accumulation and dispensing device 30, and restricts the tilt direction of the picker roller shaft 114 in the front-rear direction.

[0126] Furthermore, a picker drive belt 116 is stretched between the feed shaft drive transmission pulley 109 and the picker drive pulley 113, and the rotation of the feed shaft drive transmission pulley 109 is transmitted to the picker drive pulley 113 via this picker drive belt 116.

[0127] Furthermore, the accumulating and dispensing device 20A has a position detection sensor 117 attached to a structure such as a frame (not shown). The configuration of the accumulating and dispensing device 20A is as described above.

[0128] [2-2. Feeding operation by the integrated feeding device] Next, we will explain the dispensing operation when dispensing banknotes BL by the stacking and dispensing device 20A. Since the dispensing operation of the stacking and dispensing device 20A is almost identical to that of the stacking and dispensing device 30, we will only briefly explain it here.

[0129] In the stacking and dispensing device 20A, when a banknote BL is inserted between the bill press 105 and the pool guide 106, the bill press 105 and the pool guide 106 are moved forward with the banknote BL sandwiched between them (i.e., with the banknote BL stacked in the front-to-back direction between the bill press 105 and the pool guide 106). As shown in Figure 16, when the detector 112a of the picker holding bracket 112 reaches the detection position of the position detection sensor 117, the bill press 105 and the pool guide 106 are stopped.

[0130] At this time, a portion of the rear of the picker roller 107 protrudes into the banknote stacking space 100 through a hole (not shown) provided in the pool guide 106, and this portion of the rear of the picker roller 107 contacts the top banknote (the first banknote) of the banknote stacking space BL. In this state, by rotating the feed roller 102 and the picker roller 107 in the counterclockwise direction shown in Figure 16, the banknote stacking space BL accumulated between the bill press 105 and the pool guide 106 is sent out to the internal transport path 101.

[0131] In this case, the stacking and dispensing device 20A, like the stacking and dispensing device 30, is designed so that even if the front surface of the banknotes stacked between the bill press 105 and the pool guide 106 is tilted in the left-right direction, the picker roller shaft 114 tilts until it is almost parallel to the front surface of the banknotes, thereby allowing the picker rubber 115 of the picker roller 107 to contact the front surface of the banknotes.

[0132] [2-3. Summary and Effects] As explained above, in the second embodiment, the configuration of the accumulation and dispensing device 30 provided in the storage compartment 25 was applied to the accumulation and dispensing device 20A provided in the deposit and withdrawal section 20.

[0133] As a result, even if the front surface of the banknotes stacked by the bill press 105 is inclined in the axial direction of the picker roller shaft 114, the stacking and dispensing device 20A can reliably contact the front surface of the banknotes stacked by the bill press 105, ensuring that the dispensing force is evenly applied to both the axial end and the axial end of the picker roller shaft 114 on the banknotes stacked by the bill press 105, thereby preventing banknote dispensing defects.

[0134] Furthermore, since the accumulation and dispensing device 20A is configured to hold a single picker roller shaft 114 in a tiltable manner, the number of parts can be reduced and the configuration simplified compared to a configuration in which the picker roller shaft 502 is divided axially and each part is held independently, as shown in Figure 19.

[0135] In fact, in the case of an accumulation and dispensing device 500 having a configuration in which the picker roller shaft 502 is divided axially and each is held independently, as shown in Figure 19, a total of 24 parts are required: two picker brackets 501, two picker roller shafts 502, two picker drive belts 503, two detector brackets 504, two screws 505 for fixing the detector brackets 504 to the picker roller shafts 502, two position detection sensors 506, four picker bracket pivot bearings 508 provided between the feed roller shaft 507 and the picker bracket 501, two feed shaft drive transmission pulleys 509 attached to the feed roller shaft 507 and over which the picker drive belts 503 are stretched, two pins (not shown in the figure) for attaching the feed shaft drive transmission pulleys 509 to the feed roller shaft 507, and four picker roller rotation bearings 511 provided between the picker roller 510 and the picker roller shaft 502.

[0136] In contrast, the accumulating and dispensing device 30 of this embodiment requires a total of 12 parts: one picker roller shaft 114, one picker drive belt 116, one picker holding bracket 112, one position detection sensor 117, two picker holding bracket pivot bearings 111, one feed shaft drive transmission pulley 109, one pin 110, two picker rotation bearings, and two picker drive pulleys 113 due to their split structure.

[0137] Thus, the integrated feeding device 20A of this embodiment can significantly reduce the number of parts compared to the integrated feeding device 500.

[0138] [3. Other Embodiments] [3-1. Other Embodiments 1] In the first embodiment described above, a spherical portion 54b is provided near the axial center of the picker roller shaft 54, and the picker drive pulley 53 and picker drive belt 56 are provided in conjunction with this near the axial center of the picker roller shaft 54. However, the position of the spherical portion 54b may be different from that of the first embodiment described above, that is, it may be provided at a location other than near the axial center of the picker roller shaft 54. In this case, the positions of the picker drive pulley 53 and picker drive belt 56 should be aligned with the position of the spherical portion 54b. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0139] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a picker drive belt 56 was used as an example of a transmission member that transmits the rotation of the feed roller shaft 47 to the picker drive pulley 53. However, the invention is not limited to this, and a transmission member other than the picker drive belt 56 (for example, a gear) may be used.

[0140] [3-2. Other Embodiments 2] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the picker roller 46 was a two-wheeled roller with a small-diameter portion 46b between two large-diameter portions 46a. However, it is not limited to this, and for example, it may be a one-wheeled roller with one large-diameter portion 46a, or a roller with three or more wheels with three or more large-diameter portions 46a. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0141] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, picker rollers 46 are provided on the left and right sides of the picker roller shaft 54, with the spherical portion 54b in between. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the number and position of the picker rollers 46 may be changed as appropriate. For example, two or more picker rollers 46 may be provided on each side with the spherical portion 54b in between. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0142] [3-3. Other Embodiments 3] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a projection 53d is provided on the picker drive pulley 53 side, and a groove 54c is provided on the picker roller shaft 54 ​​side. However, the invention is not limited to this, and a projection cutout may be provided on the picker roller shaft 54 ​​side, and a groove may be provided on the picker drive pulley 53 side, so that the projection cutout on the picker roller shaft 54 ​​side is inserted into the groove on the picker drive pulley 53 side. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0143] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the shape of the projection 53d is cylindrical, but it is not limited to this, and may be other shapes, for example, a shape that approximates a cylinder. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0144] [3-4. Other Embodiments 4] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the present invention was applied to the stacking and dispensing device 30 and the stacking and dispensing device 20A as paper sheet dispensing devices. However, the invention is not limited to these, and may be applied to paper sheet dispensing devices other than the stacking and dispensing device 30 and the stacking and dispensing device 20A, as long as the device has a mechanism for separating and dispensing stacked paper sheets. For example, the stacking and dispensing device 30 has a separation and dispensing function for separating and dispensing stacked banknotes, as well as a discharge and accumulation function for dispensing banknotes transported to the stacking and dispensing device 30 into the banknote accumulation space 40 for accumulation. However, the invention may also be applied to paper sheet dispensing devices that do not have a discharge and accumulation function. Moreover, the invention is not limited to these, and may also be applied to paper sheet dispensing devices that dispense paper sheets other than banknotes (such as checks, tickets, and other securities or valuable media, tickets, paper, etc.). Specifically, it may be applied to paper dispensing devices that dispense paper from the paper tray of a printer.

[0145] Furthermore, while the present invention was applied to the automated trading device 1 and the banknote deposit / withdrawal machine 10 in the first and second embodiments described above, it is not limited to these. It may also be applied to devices other than the automated trading device 1 and the banknote deposit / withdrawal machine 10, as long as the device has a paper sheet feeding device that has a mechanism for separating and feeding out accumulated paper sheets. For example, it can also be applied to automated trading devices that handle paper sheets other than banknotes (such as checks, tickets, and other securities or valuable media, tickets, paper, etc.).

[0146] [3-5. Other Embodiments 5] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the first and second embodiments described above with some or all of the other embodiments, as well as embodiments that extract some of them. [Industrial applicability]

[0147] This invention can be used in various devices that have a mechanism for separating and feeding out accumulated paper sheets. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 1...Automatic transaction device, 10...Banknote deposit / discharge machine, 20...Deposit / discharge section, 20A...Accumulation / feeding device, 25...Storage unit, 27...Conveyor path, 30...Accumulation / feeding device, 40...Banknote accumulation space, 41...Internal conveyor path, 42...Feed roller, 43...Gate roller, 44...Separation first roller, 45...Stage, 46...Picker roller, 47...Feed roller shaft, 48...Feed shaft drive transmission pulley, 51...Picker guide, 51c...Shaft tilt regulating rib, 52...Picker rotation bearing, 53... Picker drive pulley, 53a... center part, 53b... end part, 53c... recess, 53d... projection, 54... picker roller shaft, 54a... shaft part, 54b... spherical part, 54c... groove, 55... picker rubber, 56... picker drive belt, 100... banknote stacking space, 101... internal transport path, 102... feed roller, 103... gate roller, 104... separation first roller, 105... bill press, 106... pool guide, 107... picker roller, 108... feed roller shaft, 109... 112...Picker holding bracket, 112c...Shaft tilt regulating groove, 113...Picker drive pulley, 114...Picker roller shaft, 115...Picker rubber, 116...Picker drive belt, 300...Collection and dispensing device, 301...Banknote collection space, 302...Internal transport path, 303...Feed roller, 304...Gate roller, 305...Separation first roller, 306...Stage, 307...Picker roller, 308...Feed roller shaft, 309...Picker - Bracket, 310... Picker roller shaft, 311... Picker drive belt, 312... Picker rubber, 313... Picker guide, 317... Feed shaft drive transmission pulley, 400... Accumulation and dispensing device, 500... Accumulation and dispensing device, 501... Picker bracket, 502... Picker roller shaft, 503... Picker drive belt, 504... Detector bracket, 507... Feed roller shaft, 509... Feed shaft drive transmission pulley, 510... Picker roller, BL... Banknote.

Claims

1. Within a storage space for storing paper sheets, there is a stage that accumulates the paper sheets and is movable in the direction of accumulation of the paper sheets, A picker roller that contacts the topmost sheet of paper accumulated on the stage and feeds out the sheet of paper, A picker roller shaft that holds the picker roller, A shaft holding portion that holds the picker roller shaft and Equipped with, The aforementioned picker roller shaft is It has a round rod-shaped shaft portion extending in a first direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and feeding direction of the paper sheets, and a spherical portion provided on the shaft portion having a diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft portion, and the picker roller is held on the shaft portion, The aforementioned shaft holding portion is The picker roller shaft engages with the picker roller shaft along the spherical portion of the picker roller shaft, and holds the picker roller shaft so that it can tilt towards one end and the other end in the axial direction of the picker roller shaft, with the spherical portion as a pivot point. A paper sheet feeding device that is characterized by its features.

2. The aforementioned shaft holding portion is The above-mentioned first direction is rotatable with respect to the axis of rotation, Furthermore, the shaft holding portion is provided with a recess shaped to conform to the spherical surface of the spherical portion of the picker roller shaft, and the spherical portion is fitted into the recess. One of the recess and the spherical portion is provided with a groove aligned with the first direction, and the other is provided with a projection that is inserted into the groove. The rotation of the shaft holding portion is transmitted to the picker roller shaft via the projection. The paper sheet feeding device according to feature 1.

3. A gap is provided between the projection and the bottom of the groove. The paper sheet feeding device according to feature 2.

4. The aforementioned projection is cylindrical. The paper sheet feeding device according to feature 3.

5. The picker roller shaft is further provided with a shaft tilt restricting section that restricts the tilt of the picker roller shaft so that one end and the other end of the picker roller shaft in the axial direction are movable only in the accumulation direction. A paper sheet feeding device according to any one of features 1 to 4.

6. A feed roller for transporting the paper sheets dispensed by the picker roller, A feed roller shaft extending in the first direction and holding the feed roller, A transmission member that transmits the rotation of the feed roller shaft to the shaft holding portion, Equipped with The paper sheet feeding device according to feature 1.

7. The aforementioned picker roller shaft is The spherical portion is sandwiched between at least one picker roller on one end in the axial direction, and the spherical portion is sandwiched between at least one picker roller on the other end in the axial direction. The paper sheet feeding device according to feature 1.

8. The stage is equipped with a picker guide that serves as a guide when unloading the paper sheets accumulated on the stage, The aforementioned picker guide is The feed roller shaft is rotatably held, The aforementioned shaft holding portion is Rotatably held by the picker guide The paper sheet feeding device according to feature 6.

9. A paper sheet feeding device according to claim 1, A discharge unit for discharging the paper sheets dispensed by the aforementioned paper sheet dispensing device and Equipped with An automated trading device characterized by the following features.

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