Paper sheet processing device and currency handling device

Abstract

The present invention provides a paper sheet processing device and a currency handling device that can prevent the tongue from getting caught in the drive belt. [Solution] The paper sheet processing device comprises a collection space for accumulating paper sheets, a pulley portion 16Ba supported on a rotating shaft 21, a tongue roller 16B having a plurality of tongues 17B extending radially from the outer circumferential surface of the pulley portion 16Ba and striking the paper sheets released into the collection space, a drive belt 24 that transmits driving force from a drive source to the pulley portion 16Ba and rotates the pulley portion 16Ba, and a restricting portion 32 provided between the tongues 17B and the drive belt 24 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 21, which restricts the movement of the tongues 17B in the direction of the drive belt 24.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper sheet processing device and a currency handling device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in automatic transaction devices used in financial institutions, stores, etc., depending on the transaction content with customers, for example, customers are made to deposit cash such as banknotes and coins, and cash is withdrawn to customers. As an automatic transaction device, for example, a deposit / withdrawal unit that exchanges banknotes with customers, a discrimination unit that discriminates the denomination and authenticity of the inserted banknotes and reads the serial number, a temporary storage unit that temporarily holds the inserted banknotes, a transport unit that transports the banknotes, and a banknote storage that stores banknotes for each denomination. There is a device having a warehouse (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The banknote storage described in Patent Document 1 has a drive roller that discharges banknotes into an accumulation space, a tongue piece roller (also called a impeller) that rotates together with the drive roller, etc., and these are appropriately rotated at the time of discharge. The tongue piece roller has, for example, a plurality of tongue pieces (also called blades) that elastically deform and are radially arranged, and hold the stored banknotes. Thereby, the collision between newly stored banknotes and stored banknotes is avoided, and banknotes can be smoothly stored in the accumulation space.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] There is a mechanism that uses a drive belt to transmit driving force from a drive source to a movable tongue roller, causing it to rotate and positioning the tongue around its entire circumference in relation to a fixed tongue roller. Devices using this mechanism had a problem in that the tongue would get caught in the drive belt. When the tongue gets caught in the drive belt, it can cause malfunctions or failures. This problem is not limited to automatic transaction machines and change dispensers, but is also the same for other devices that process banknotes. Furthermore, this problem is not limited to devices that process banknotes (banknote processing devices), but is also the same for devices that process paper other than banknotes (for example, slips and forms).

[0006] The problems of a paper sheet processing device using a movable tongue roller will be explained with reference to Figures 18 to 23. Figure 18 is an external view of the components related to the tongue roller in a conventional paper sheet processing device.

[0007] As shown in Figure 18, the tongue roller 916 is mounted coaxially with the rotation axis 921 of the gate roller 915. The tongue roller 916 has fixed tongue rollers 916A and 916C and a movable tongue roller 916B. The fixed tongue rollers 916A and 916C are fixed to the rotation axis 921. The movable tongue roller 916B is pivotally supported on the rotation axis 921, and the position of the tongue 917B of the movable tongue roller 916B can be changed relative to the tongues 917A and 917C of the tongue rollers 916A and 916C. When the tongue 917B is positioned diagonally to the tongues 917A and 917C, the tongues 917 (tongues 917A to 917C) are extended around the entire circumference of the rotation axis 921.

[0008] The fixed tongue rollers 916A and 916C are provided on both the left and right sides of the movable tongue roller 916B, respectively. The tongue rollers 916A and 916C each consist of a hub portion 916Aa and 916Ca fixed to the rotating shaft 921, and tongues 917A and 917C provided on the outer circumferential surface of the hub portion 916Aa and 916Ca. The area in which the tongues 917A and 917C are provided is approximately a semicircle of "180°".

[0009] The movable tongue roller 916B is located between the fixed tongue rollers 916A and 916C. The tongue roller 916B comprises a pulley portion 916Ba supported by the rotating shaft 921 and a tongue 917B provided on the outer circumferential surface of the pulley portion 916Ba. The area in which the tongue 17B is provided is approximately a semicircle of "180°".

[0010] The pulley portion 916Ba is connected to a drive source (not shown) via an endless drive belt 924. The drive belt 924 is stretched between the pulley portion 916Ba, which is pivotally supported on the rotating shaft 921, and the pulley portion 923, which is fixed to the rotating shaft 922. The rotating shaft 922 is connected to a drive source (not shown), and the pulley portion 923 rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 922. The pulley portions 916Ba and 923 have teeth and contact the drive belt 924 via their tooth surfaces.

[0011] When deploying the tongue 917B of the movable tongue roller 916B, the pulley portion 916Ba is rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the right side, without rotating the rotating shaft 921. The rotating shaft 921 has a pin (not shown) that restricts the rotation of the pulley portion 916Ba. When the pulley portion 916Ba is rotated by "180°", the pin on the rotating shaft 921 and the limiter surface formed on the pulley portion 916Ba come into contact, restricting the rotation of the pulley portion 916Ba. As a result, the tongue 917 of the tongue roller 916 is deployed around the entire circumference of the rotating shaft 921, and when the tongue 917 is deployed around the entire circumference, the rotation of the rotating shaft 921 and the rotation of the pulley portion 916Ba are synchronized (that is, the pulley portion 916Ba rotates together with the rotating shaft 921).

[0012] Furthermore, a guide section 930 is installed below the tongue roller 916. The guide section 930 is made of metal, for example, and serves to protect other parts from the tongue 917, and to hold the rotating shafts 921, 922 and sensors (not shown) that monitor the rotation of the rotating shafts 921, 922. The guide section 930 also serves to store the tongue 917 in a bent state by contacting it in the retracted position. An opening 931 is formed in the guide section 930 for the drive belt 924 to pass through.

[0013] The state of the tongue piece 917 will be explained with reference to Figures 19 to 22. As shown in Figure 19, when the movable tongue roller 916B is in the retracted position (separation position), the tongue 917B is in contact with the guide portion 930 and is held in a bent "C" shape. When the movable tongue roller 916B is rotated from the retracted position (separation position) to the accumulation position, the tongue 917B bends into an inverted "S" shape ("2" shape) midway through the rotation (see Figure 20), and as it rotates further, it bends into an inverted "C" shape (in the opposite direction to when it was in the retracted position).

[0014] When the tongue 917B is bent into an inverted "C" shape, it may overlap with adjacent tongues 917B in the rotational direction (see Figure 22). Also, when the tongue 917B is bent into an inverted "C" shape, it may move in the axial direction. Furthermore, when the tongue flap 917B is in an inverted "S" shape, or just before or after it reaches that state, the movement of the tongue flap 917B is unstable and prone to axial movement (see Figure 23). Figure 23 is an image illustrating the axial movement of the tongue flap 917B.

[0015] As shown in Figure 23, when the tongue piece 917B moves axially (especially in the direction of the drive belt 924), the tongue piece 917B can become caught between the teeth of the drive belt 924 and the pulley portion 916Ba of the movable tongue roller 916B. If the tongue piece 917B becomes caught in the drive belt 924, there is a risk that the teeth of the pulley portion 916Ba will skip relative to the drive belt 924 (angular phase misalignment between the pulley portion 916Ba and the rotating shaft 921). In addition, if the pulley portion 916Ba rotates and pulls while the tongue piece 917B is caught, there is a risk that the tongue piece 917B may break.

[0016] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a paper sheet processing device and a currency handling device that can prevent the tongue from getting caught in the drive belt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] To solve the aforementioned problems, a paper sheet processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising: an accumulation space for accumulating paper sheets; a pulley portion supported on a rotating shaft; a tongue roller having a plurality of tongues extending radially from the outer circumferential surface of the pulley portion and striking the paper sheets released into the accumulation space; a drive belt that transmits a driving force from a drive source to the pulley portion and rotates the pulley portion; and a restricting portion provided between the tongues and the drive belt in the axial direction of the rotating shaft, which restricts the movement of the tongues in the direction of the drive belt.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a currency handling device according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising the above-described paper sheet processing device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the tongue from getting caught in the drive belt. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] This is an external view of a cash register change system including a currency handling device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of a banknote processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] External view of components related to the tongue piece roller. [Figure 4] Expanded view of the guide part, (a) is a perspective view when viewed from the left front direction, (b) is a perspective view when viewed from the right front direction, and (c) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to IVC-IVC. [Figure 5] Image showing suppression of the entrainment of the tongue piece by the drive belt by the regulating part. [Figure 6] Diagram for explaining the effective range of the regulating part. [Figure 7] Diagram showing the state of the tongue piece during retraction rotation. [Figure 8] Diagram showing the state of the tongue piece during integration rotation. [Figure 9] Diagram showing the state of the tongue piece during integration rotation. [Figure 10] Diagram showing the state of the tongue piece during integration rotation. [Figure 11] Diagram for explaining the appropriate height of the regulating part. [Figure 12] Diagram for explaining the appropriate height of the regulating part. [Figure 13] Diagram for explaining the appropriate tilt angle of the regulating part in the front and rear of the rotation direction. [Figure 14] Diagram for explaining the variations of the regulating part. [Figure 15] Image of a regulating part according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] Side view of a regulating part according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] Image of a regulating part according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] External view of components related to the tongue piece roller provided in a conventional paper sheet processing apparatus. [Figure 19] Diagram showing the state of the tongue piece during retraction rotation. [Figure 20]This figure shows the state of the tongue during accumulation rotation. [Figure 21] This figure shows the state of the tongue during accumulation rotation. [Figure 22] This figure shows the state of the tongue during accumulation rotation. [Figure 23] This image illustrates the axial movement of the tongue. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Each drawing is only a schematic representation to the extent that the present invention can be fully understood. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. In addition, the dimensions of the components constituting the present invention in the reference drawings may be exaggerated or reduced in order to clarify the explanation. In each drawing, common or similar components are denoted by the same reference numeral, and their redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0022] [First Embodiment] <Configuration of the currency handling device according to the first embodiment> Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of the currency handling device 3 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is an external view of the cash register change system 1 including the currency handling device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the description of the currency handling device 3, "up and down," "front and back," and "left and right" refer to the arrows in Figure 1. These directions are defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the present invention.

[0023] The currency handling device 3 is a device for handling currency (including banknotes and coins). In this embodiment, the currency handling device 3 is assumed to be a change dispenser used in the checkout area of ​​a retail store such as a supermarket or convenience store. The currency handling device 3, together with the POS (Point of Sales) register 2, forms the cash register change system 1.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the POS register 2 includes a control unit 2a, a display operation unit 2b, a receipt processing unit 2c, a barcode reader (not shown), and the like. The control unit 2a and the receipt processing unit 2c are built into the POS register 2.

[0025] The control unit 2a provides overall control of the POS register 2. For example, by reading the barcode attached to a product using a barcode reader connected to the POS register 2, the control unit 2a recognizes the product.

[0026] The display operation unit 2b is configured as a touch panel, comprising a display unit, such as a liquid crystal display, and an operation unit, such as a touch sensor, superimposed on the liquid crystal display. The display operation unit 2b displays the name and price of the recognized product on the liquid crystal display. The display operation unit 2b also displays input keys, such as numbers, on a portion of the display screen, and when a corresponding location on the touch sensor is pressed, it receives the input operation corresponding to that input key and transmits it to the control unit 2a. In response, the control unit 2a performs various processes such as increasing or decreasing the quantity of products or correcting the price.

[0027] The receipt processing unit 2c prints the name and price of the recognized product on a receipt and ejects it from the receipt output slot 2d.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the currency handling device 3 (here assumed to be a change dispenser) mainly comprises a banknote processing device 4 located on the left side, a coin processing device 5 located on the right side, a display operation unit 6 located on the front upper part, and a built-in control unit 7, etc.

[0029] The banknote processing device 4 is a device that processes banknotes. The banknote processing device 4 has a banknote inlet / outlet slot 4a, a banknote storage compartment 4b, a rejected banknote collection compartment 4c, etc. It takes in banknotes deposited by a cashier through the banknote inlet / outlet slot 4a and stores them in the banknote storage compartment 4b, and also takes banknotes instructed by the control unit 2a from the banknote storage compartment 4b and dispenses them as change through the banknote inlet / outlet slot 4a. Note that the banknote processing device 4 is an example of a "paper sheet processing device". A paper sheet processing device is a device that processes paper sheets (including banknotes).

[0030] The coin processing device 5 is a device for processing coins. The coin processing device 5 has a coin deposit slot 5a on the upper part of its front surface, and a reject slot 5b and a coin dispensing slot 5c below it. The coin processing device 5 takes in coins that have been inserted into the coin deposit slot 5a by a cashier and stores them in an internal storage compartment, and also dispenses coins of the appropriate denomination and number of coins as change from the coin dispensing slot 5c according to the amount instructed by the control unit 2a.

[0031] The display and operation unit 6 is composed of a predetermined display panel and predetermined operation buttons. The display panel of the display and operation unit 6 displays the operating status of the banknote processing device 4 and the coin processing device 5, for example, whether the banknote processing device 4 is short of banknotes of a predetermined denomination, whether an abnormality has been detected by a predetermined sensor, and the location of the abnormality. The operation buttons of the display and operation unit 6 receive instructions, for example, regarding the transport of banknotes, via press operations by cashiers or the like.

[0032] The control unit 7 is centered around a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) and controls the currency handling device 3 by reading and executing various programs, such as the change dispensing program, from a storage unit (not shown) that stores various information, and performing various processes such as deposit and withdrawal transactions.

[0033] This memory unit consists of a storage unit (not shown) such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD), and stores various programs, as well as, for example, transaction histories and the number of banknotes stored in each banknote storage compartment 4b (i.e., the total number of banknotes stored), which are stored and updated sequentially. Therefore, the control unit 7 can read various information from this memory unit to determine the number of banknotes stored in each compartment, or whether or not banknotes are present.

[0034] (Regarding the configuration of the banknote processing device) The configuration of the banknote processing device 4 will be described with reference to Figure 2 (and Figure 1 as appropriate). Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the banknote processing device 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the banknote processing device 4 includes a deposit / discharge unit 10, a banknote storage unit 4b, a reject collection unit 4c, a transport unit 4d, an authentication unit 4e, etc. Each part of the banknote processing device 4 is centrally controlled by the control unit 7 (see Figure 1) of the currency handling device 3.

[0036] The deposit / withdrawal unit 10 is the part that handles the exchange of banknotes with the user (for example, a cashier), and is located at the front upper part of the banknote processing device 4. In a deposit process, for example, when banknotes are deposited, the deposit / withdrawal unit 10 takes in the banknotes that have been inserted by the user from the banknote deposit / withdrawal slot 4a (Figure 1), separates them one by one, and sequentially hands them over to the transport unit 4d. Also, in a withdrawal process, for example, when banknotes are withdrawn, the deposit / withdrawal unit 10 collects the banknotes to be withdrawn when they have been transported by the transport unit 4d, and allows them to be taken out from the banknote deposit / withdrawal slot 4a.

[0037] The transport unit 4d includes a transport guide (not shown) for guiding banknotes, multiple rotating rollers 4f, a moving belt 4g, and a sensor 4h for detecting the banknotes. The transport unit 4d forms a transport path, which is the route through which banknotes should be transported, between the three banknote storage compartments 4b, the deposit / withdrawal compartment 10, and the reject collection compartment 4c.

[0038] The identification unit 4e is located behind the deposit / withdrawal unit 10 on the transport path formed by the transport unit 4d, and has rollers for transporting banknotes along the transport path, as well as optical elements, image sensors, and magnetic detection elements. As the banknotes are transported along the transport path, the identification unit 4e moves the banknotes through it and, based on the detection results obtained by each element, identifies the denomination, authenticity, and condition (whether or not it is damaged), as well as the transport status of the banknotes, and notifies the control unit 7 of the obtained identification results. The control unit 7 determines the transport path of the banknotes according to the acquired identification results and controls the transport unit 4d as appropriate according to the transport path.

[0039] The reject collection box 4c is located near the front end of the banknote processing device 4, adjacent to the deposit / withdrawal section 10, and is detachably attached to the housing of the currency handling device 3. The reject collection box 4c stores banknotes that have been determined not to be reused. For example, it stores banknotes that have been identified as damaged by the authentication section 4e (so-called damaged banknotes), banknotes that have been identified as counterfeit, or banknotes that were not identified as normal during the withdrawal process due to skew or double feeding, etc., which are all abnormally judged banknotes (rejected banknotes). The reject collection box 4c also stores banknotes that are set as denominations that will not be recycled, such as 5,000 yen notes and 2,000 yen notes.

[0040] (Regarding the structure of the deposit and withdrawal section) As shown in Figure 2, the deposit / withdrawal section 10 mainly comprises a stacking space 11 for accumulating banknotes, a stage 12, a pickup roller 13, a feed roller 14, a gate roller 15, and a tongue roller 16.

[0041] Stage 12 is movable and can move vertically within the accumulation space 11. The pickup roller 13 is positioned above the stage 12. The feed roller 14 is positioned further back (in this case, rearward) than the pickup roller 13.

[0042] The gate roller 15 is positioned below the feed roller 14 so as to be in contact with it. The gate roller 15 plays a role in preventing two or more media from being fed out of the accumulation space 11 and transported when a payment is made.

[0043] The tongue roller 16 is mounted coaxially with the gate roller 15 and has a tongue 17. When dispensing money, the tongue roller 16 taps (presses down) the vicinity of the trailing end of banknotes released into the accumulation space 11 with the tongue to accumulate them. The tongue 17, also called a feather, is made of a flexible material (for example, natural rubber or synthetic rubber) and is easily elastically deformed. The tongue roller 16 is also called a vane wheel. The tongue roller 16 plays a role in preventing collisions between newly placed banknotes and already placed banknotes in the accumulation space 11 and in smoothly storing banknotes in the accumulation space 11.

[0044] (Regarding the tongue roller and related components) The tongue roller 16 and its related components will be described with reference to Figure 3 (and Figures 1 and 2 as appropriate). Figure 3 is an external view of the components related to the tongue roller 16.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the tongue roller 16 is mounted coaxially with the rotation axis 21 of the gate roller 15. The tongue roller 16 is provided on both the left and right sides of the gate roller 15, and the configurations on both sides are the same. Therefore, this explanation will focus on the configuration on the right side.

[0046] The tongue roller 16 has fixed tongue rollers 16A and 16C and a movable tongue roller 16B. The fixed tongue rollers 16A and 16C are fixed to the rotation shaft 21. The movable tongue roller 16B is pivotally supported on the rotation shaft 21, and the position of the tongue piece 17B of the movable tongue roller 16B can be changed relative to the tongue pieces 17A and 17C of the tongue rollers 16A and 16C. When the tongue piece 17B is positioned diagonally to the tongue pieces 17A and 17C, the tongue pieces 17 (tongue pieces 17A to 17C) are spread out around the entire circumference of the rotation shaft 21.

[0047] The fixed tongue rollers 16A and 16C are provided on both the left and right sides of the movable tongue roller 16B, respectively. The tongue rollers 16A and 16C each consist of a hub portion 16Aa and 16Ca fixed to the rotating shaft 21, and tongues 17A and 17C provided on the outer circumferential surface of the hub portion 16Aa and 16Ca. The area in which the tongues 17A and 17C are provided is approximately a semicircle of "180°". The hub portion 16Aa and 16Ca is provided with a total of four tongues 17A and 17C at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0048] The movable tongue roller 16B is located between the fixed tongue rollers 16A and 16C. The tongue roller 16B comprises a pulley portion 16Ba supported by the rotating shaft 21 and tongue pieces 17B provided on the outer circumferential surface of the pulley portion 16Ba. The area where the tongue pieces 17B are provided is approximately a semicircle of "180°". The pulley portion 16Ba is provided with a total of four tongue pieces 17B at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0049] The pulley portion 16Ba is connected to a drive source (not shown) via an endless drive belt 24. The drive belt 24 is stretched between the pulley portion 16Ba, which is pivotally supported on the rotating shaft 21, and the pulley portion 23, which is fixed to the rotating shaft 22. The rotating shaft 22 is connected to a drive source (not shown), and the pulley portion 23 rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 22. The pulley portions 16Ba and 23 have teeth and contact the drive belt 24 via their tooth surfaces.

[0050] When deploying the tongues 17B of the movable tongue roller 16B, the pulley portion 16Ba is rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the right side, without rotating the rotating shaft 21. The rotating shaft 21 has a pin (not shown) that restricts the rotation of the pulley portion 16Ba. When the pulley portion 16Ba is rotated by "180°", the pin on the rotating shaft 21 and the limiter surface formed on the pulley portion 16Ba come into contact, restricting the rotation of the pulley portion 16Ba. As a result, the tongues 17 of the tongue roller 16 are deployed around the entire circumference of the rotating shaft 21, and when the tongues 17 are deployed around the entire circumference, the rotation of the rotating shaft 21 and the rotation of the pulley portion 16Ba are synchronized (that is, the pulley portion 16Ba rotates together with the rotating shaft 21). During withdrawal (when banknotes are accumulated in the accumulation space 11), the tongue 17 is fully extended, and the tongue rollers 16A, 16B, and 16C (tongue roller 16) rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the right. The rotation of the tongue rollers 16 when accumulating banknotes is called "accumulation rotation".

[0051] Furthermore, the guide portion 40 (see Figure 7) surrounding the tongue roller 16 has a space such as a notch formed in the part through which the tongue 17 passes, allowing the tongue roller 16 to rotate smoothly.

[0052] When retracting (storing) the tongue 17B of the movable tongue roller 16B, the movable tongue roller 16B is stopped when the tongues 17A and 17C of the fixed tongue rollers 16A and 16C are retracted from the accumulation space 11 and the transport path. At this point, the tongue 17B of the movable tongue roller 16B is present in the accumulation space 11 and the transport path. Then, the pulley portion 16Ba is rotated in the opposite direction to when it is deployed (clockwise when viewed from the right), retracting the tongue 17B of the movable tongue roller 16B from the accumulation space 11 and the transport path. As a result, all the tongues 17 of the tongue rollers 16 are no longer present in the accumulation space 11 and the transport path. The rotation of the pulley portion 16Ba when retracting the tongue 17B is called "retraction rotation".

[0053] A guide section 30 is installed around the tongue roller 16 (downward in this embodiment). The guide section 30 is made of metal, for example, and serves to protect other parts from the tongue 17, and to hold the rotating shafts 21 and 22 and sensors (not shown) that monitor the rotation of the rotating shafts 21 and 22. The guide section 30 also plays a role in storing the tongue 17 in a bent state by contacting it in the retracted position.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, the guide section 30 has a front wall section 30a that covers the front of the rotation axis 22, a ceiling section 30b that covers the top, and a rear wall section 30c that covers the rear. Note that the shape and arrangement of the guide section 30 shown in Figure 3 are for illustrative purposes only.

[0055] Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the part of the guide section 30 corresponding to the tongue roller 16. Figure 4(a) is a perspective view from the front left, (b) is a perspective view from the front right, and (c) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the IVC-IVC.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, the guide portion 30 has an opening 31 for the drive belt 24 to pass through. A restricting portion 32 is formed on the left side of the opening 31 in the ceiling portion 30b to restrict the movement of the tongue piece 17. Also, a restricting portion 33 is formed on the right side of the opening 31 in the ceiling portion 30b to restrict the movement of the tongue piece 17. The restricting portions 32 and 33 are preferably provided adjacent to the opening 31. In this embodiment, the restricting portions 32 and 33 are formed integrally with the guide portion 30 and have a wall shape that protrudes from the guide portion 30 toward the tongue piece roller 16. Note that the restricting portions 32 and 33 do not need to be formed integrally with the guide portion 30 if there is no gap for the tip of the tongue piece 17 to enter.

[0057] The restricting portion 32 is formed between the drive belt 24 and the movable tongue roller 16B, and prevents the tongue 17B from getting caught in the drive belt 24. The restricting portion 32 is provided along the left edge of the opening 31 (the edge on the side where the tongue roller 16B is provided). The restricting portion 33 is formed between the drive belt 24 and the fixed tongue roller 16A, and prevents the tongue 17A from getting caught in the drive belt 24. The restricting portion 33 is provided along the right edge of the opening 31 (the edge on the side where the tongue roller 16A is provided). Figure 5 shows an image illustrating how the regulating parts 32 and 33 prevent the tongue pieces 17B and 17A from being caught in the drive belt 24.

[0058] In this embodiment, a restricting section 32 is provided between the drive belt 24 and the movable tongue roller 16B, and a restricting section 33 is provided between the drive belt 24 and the fixed tongue roller 16A. However, it is also possible to provide only the restricting section 32 without providing the restricting section 33. Since the fixed tongue roller 16A rotates only in the direction of cumulative rotation (counterclockwise when viewed from the right), the tongue 17A only bends into an inverted "C" shape, but the movement of the tongue 17A is inherently unstable. Therefore, it is desirable to provide restricting sections 32 and 33 as in this embodiment.

[0059] (Regarding the effective range of the regulatory part) Referring to Figure 6, the effective ranges of the regulating sections 32 and 33 will be explained. Here, we will focus on regulating section 32, and a detailed explanation of regulating section 33 will be omitted. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the effective range of regulating section 32. The effective range of regulating section 33 is determined in the same way as that of regulating section 32.

[0060] The restricting portion 32 prevents the tongue piece 17B from moving in the direction of the drive belt 24 by blocking the range F1 (see Figure 6) that connects the drive belt 24, the guide portion 30, and the rotational circle J1 at the base (rear end portion) of the tongue piece 17B when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shafts 21 and 22 (in this embodiment, the left-right direction). However, it is necessary to ensure a gap to prevent interference between the tongue piece roller 16B and the restricting portion 32.

[0061] The key areas requiring regulation by the regulating section 32 are determined by the layout of the drive belt 24, the guide section 30, and the tongue roller 16B (especially the pulley section 16Ba). As shown in Figure 6, when the guide section 30 is located around the drive belt 24, it is preferable to install the regulating section 32 so as to cover the key areas G1 and G2. Key area G1 is the area where the tongue 17B gets caught during retraction rotation (clockwise when viewed from the right). Key area G2 is the area where the tongue 17B gets caught during accumulation rotation (counterclockwise when viewed from the right).

[0062] When the tongue piece 17B comes into contact with the guide portion 30, it bends, resulting in the state shown in Figure 7 during retraction rotation (clockwise when viewed from the right). Also, when the tongue piece 17B comes into contact with the guide portion 30, it bends, resulting in the state shown in Figures 8 to 10 during accumulation rotation (counterclockwise when viewed from the right). Therefore, the risk of the tongue piece 17B getting caught in the critical areas G1 and G2 increases.

[0063] Even if there is no bending due to sliding with the guide section 30, the tongue piece 17B may move towards the drive belt 24 to some extent due to its shape being fixed in the retracted position or due to instability in its behavior during rotation. Therefore, if possible, it is desirable to install the restricting section 32 at the priority points G1 and G2.

[0064] (Regarding the height of the regulated section) The heights of the restricting sections 32 and 33 will be explained with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Here, we will focus on the restricting section 32, and a detailed explanation of the restricting section 33 will be omitted. Figures 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating the appropriate height of the restricting section 32. The appropriate height of the restricting section 33 is determined using the same approach as for the appropriate height of the restricting section 32.

[0065] The height of the restricting portion 32 should be higher than the position of the tip of the tongue 17B when the tongue roller 16B overlaps with the tongues 17B during operation. For example, consider the case where overlapping of the tongues 17B occurs during cumulative rotation as shown in Figure 10 (the fourth tongue 17B overlaps the third tongue 17B from the leading tongue 17B in the direction of rotation). If the thickness of the tongue 17B is "1.8 mm", by setting the restricting portion 32 to be higher than the height "3.6 mm" when two tongues overlap, it is possible to prevent the tip of the tongue 17B from exceeding the restricting portion 32 and coming into contact with the drive belt 24.

[0066] In other words, the height H1 of the regulating portion 32 is made greater than the value L1 obtained by multiplying the thickness of the tongue piece 17B by the number of overlapping pieces. This can be expressed as equation (1) below. "(Thickness of tongue piece 17B × number of overlapping pieces) < Height of regulating section 32" ... Equation (1) Here, the height of the regulating section 32 is the distance from the guide section 30 to the top of the regulating section 32 on a straight line (one example being the straight line indicated by symbol K1) drawn radially from the center of the tongue roller 16B (rotation axis 21) to the guide section 30.

[0067] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, when the tongue piece 17B is bent into an inverted "S" shape, the bent portion is prone to movement in the axial direction. Therefore, even if the height of the restricting portion 32 is set to be greater than the overlap of the tongue piece 17B, the area near the bent portion may still go over the restricting portion 32. In such cases, as shown in Figure 12, it is best to set the height of the restricting portion 32 to a height H2,H3 that is more than half of the distance L2,L3 between the rotational circle J1 at the base of the tongue piece 17B and the guide portion 30. This ensures that more than half of the tongue piece 17B is blocked by the restricting portion 32, thereby increasing the effectiveness of preventing entanglement. This can be expressed as follows: Equation (2). "(Distance from the rotational circle J1 at the base of tongue piece 17B to the guide portion 30 ÷ 2) < Height of regulating portion 32" ... Equation (2)

[0068] (Regarding the inclination angle of the regulating part in the forward and backward directions of rotation) Referring to Figure 13, the inclination angles of the regulating parts 32 and 33 in the direction of rotation will be explained. Here, we will focus on the regulating part 32, and a detailed explanation of the regulating part 33 will be omitted. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the appropriate inclination angles of the regulating part 32 in the direction of rotation. Note that the appropriate inclination angle of the regulating part 33 is determined using the same method as the appropriate inclination angle of the regulating part 32.

[0069] During rotation, the tongue piece 17B slides between the guide portion 30 and the restricting portion 32. It is desirable that the angles θ1 and θ2 of the front and rear ends (edges) of the restricting portion 32 in the direction of rotation be 90° or less. The angles θ1 and θ2 are the angles made between the front and rear ends (edges) of the restricting portion 32 in the direction of rotation and the surface of the guide portion 30. By making these angles θ1 and θ2 smaller than 90°, it is possible to prevent the tip of the tongue piece 17B from getting caught on the front and rear ends of the restricting portion 32 in the direction of rotation (especially the corners with the guide portion 30).

[0070] As described above, according to the banknote processing device 4 of the first embodiment, even when the tongue 17B bends during the rotational movement of the tongue roller 16B, or when the direction of bending changes when rotating from the retracted position to the accumulation position, entanglement with the drive belt 24 is suppressed.

[0071] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, if the guide section 130 is located around the drive belt 24 at the priority point G2, the restricting section 132 may be installed only at the priority point G2. This is because bending of the tongue piece 17B during retraction rotation is unlikely, thus reducing the risk of entanglement at the priority point G1 (see Figure 6).

[0072] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 15. In the first embodiment, the restricting sections 32 and 33 were provided on the guide section 30, but in the second embodiment, restricting sections 34 and 35 are also provided on the tongue roller 16B. The restricting sections 34 and 35 are pulley sections 16Ba and are installed on both the left and right sides of the drive belt 24. When the restricting sections 34 and 35 are installed on the tongue roller 16B, the height of the restricting sections 34 and 35 is set to a height that does not obstruct the transport of banknotes, so that the rotational trajectory of the restricting sections 34 and 35 does not protrude into the banknote transport path.

[0073] For example, as shown in Figure 16, the restricting portions 34 and 35 are formed around the entire circumference of the pulley portion 16Ba (see Figure 16). In this case, the restricting portions 34 and 35 are ring-shaped.

[0074] The area in which the regulating sections 34 and 35 are provided does not have to be the entire circumference, but only a part of it. In this case, the restricting portion 34 between the tongue roller 16B and the drive belt 24 should be positioned to cover the base of the tongue 17B. The restricting portion 35 between the fixed tongue roller 16A and the drive belt 24 should be positioned to cover the base of the tongue 17A. In this case, the restricting portions 34 and 35 are semi-ring shaped. As shown in Figure 17, the restricting portions 34 and 35 are located diagonally opposite each other.

[0075] In this embodiment, the regulating portions 34 and 35 were described as ring-shaped and semi-ring-shaped as examples. However, other shapes similar to these are also acceptable. Furthermore, since it is sufficient to restrict the movement of the tongue piece 17 when it is caught, it is not necessarily required that the shape be centered on the rotation axis 21 of the tongue piece 17.

[0076] As described above, in the second embodiment, the movement of the tongue piece 17 is restricted by the restricting parts 34 and 35 from near the base, thereby covering the area immediately adjacent to the engagement point between the pulley part 16Ba and the drive belt 24, and thus a higher entanglement prevention effect can be expected.

[0077] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be implemented without changing the spirit of the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 1. Cash register change system 2 POS registers 3. Currency handling device 4. Banknote processing equipment (paper sheet processing equipment) 4a Banknote deposit / withdrawal slot 4b Banknote storage compartment 4c Reject Collection Box 4d Conveyor Unit 4e Identification Department 5. Coin Dispensing Device 5a Coin deposit slot 5b Rejection 5c Coin withdrawal port 6 Display operation section 7 Control Unit 10. Deposit and Withdrawal Department 11. Accumulated Space 12 stages 13 Pickup Roller 14 Feed Roller 15 gate rollers 16, 16A, 16B, 16C Tongue-shaped roller 16Aa, 16Ca hub section 16Ba pulley section 17,17A,17B,17C tongue piece 21,22 Rotation axis 23 Pulley section 24 Drive belt 30,130 Guide Section 30a Front wall 30b Ceiling section 30c rear wall 31 Opening 32,33,33,34,132 Regulatory Department

Claims

1. A storage space for accumulating paper sheets, A tongue roller having a pulley portion supported on a rotating shaft, and a plurality of tongues extending radially from the outer circumferential surface of the pulley portion and striking the paper sheets released into the accumulation space, A drive belt transmits the driving force from the drive source to the pulley portion and rotates the pulley portion, A restricting portion is provided between the tongue piece and the drive belt in the axial direction of the rotating shaft, which restricts the tongue piece from moving in the direction of the drive belt, A paper sheet processing apparatus characterized by comprising the following features.

2. The system further includes a guide portion that, by contacting the tongue piece, causes the tongue piece to bend. The regulating portion has a wall shape that protrudes from the guide portion toward the tongue roller. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The guide portion has an opening through which the drive belt passes, The regulating portion is provided adjacent to the opening, The paper sheet processing apparatus according to feature 2.

4. The regulating portion is formed within the range connecting the drive belt, the guide portion, and the rotational circle at the base of the tongue piece, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to feature 2.

5. The regulating portion has a wall shape that protrudes from the pulley portion and rotates together with the tongue piece. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to feature 1.

6. The restricting portion is formed such that, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft, it covers at least the base portion of the tongue piece. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to feature 5.

7. A paper sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A currency handling device characterized by the following features.

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