Paper sheet processing equipment

Abstract

This system reduces the influence of frictional force between the impeller blades and the paper sheets caused by differences in the surface condition of the blades used in the paper sheet conveying path, thereby enabling optimal conveyance of the paper sheets. [Solution] The impeller 31, positioned in front of the storage section for storing paper sheets, is equipped with a plurality of thin, plate-shaped blades 33, each having a suction cup 34. The suction cup 34 is positioned on the tip side of the blade 33 and consists of a recess that is indented from the surface of the blade 33 and a flexible rim 35 positioned around the opening of the recess and protruding from the surface of the blade 33. By rotating the impeller 31, the suction cup 34 is brought into contact with the paper sheets being transported, causing the paper sheets to be sucked on and transported. A negative pressure adjustment hole 36 is provided on the bottom surface of the recess, and the negative pressure adjustment hole 36 releases the negative pressure inside the suction cup. The suction cup 34 releases the negative pressure after sucking on the paper sheets, making it easier to peel off the banknotes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper sheet processing apparatus for inserting and ejecting paper sheets. In particular, it relates to a banknote processing apparatus for inserting and ejecting banknotes.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a paper sheet processing apparatus handles banknotes as paper sheets, and has a deposit slot for depositing banknotes inside, a withdrawal slot for withdrawing banknotes to the outside, a conveyance path for conveying banknotes, an identification unit for identifying the denominations of banknotes, a sorting unit for sorting banknotes by denomination, and a banknote storage unit for storing banknotes by denomination and feeding out the stored banknotes. Such a banknote processing apparatus identifies the denomination of banknotes deposited from the deposit slot by the identification unit, sorts the banknotes by the sorting unit according to the identified denomination, and stores the banknotes in the banknote storage unit by denomination. When withdrawing banknotes, the banknote processing apparatus feeds out the specified denomination and number of banknotes from the banknote storage unit, conveys them to the withdrawal slot, and withdraws them. For example, the banknote processing apparatus is used in a money changer or a payment machine.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-55357 discloses an apparatus that stacks banknotes on a withdrawal tray and pays them out collectively when withdrawing banknotes.

[0004] Banknotes are sandwiched by rollers and conveyed according to the drive of the rollers. An impeller is arranged at the final stage of the conveyance path following the withdrawal tray. When stacking banknotes on the withdrawal tray, the banknotes that have passed through the rollers are pushed by the blades of the rotating impeller so as to enter the withdrawal tray.

[0005] In addition, the tip of this blade is provided with irregularities of a high-friction member to reduce the influence of dust such as paper powder, to throw the conveyed banknotes onto the withdrawal tray, and to abut the tip of the blade against the banknotes stacked on the withdrawal tray and pull them in.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-55357 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Conventional technology uses friction between banknotes and feathers to push or pull them out. To ensure accurate placement of banknotes into the pay tray as they are held between rollers, the feather wheel requires minimal variation in friction between the banknotes and feathers, regardless of differences in the surface condition of individual feathers. However, banknotes are contaminated with various types of dirt, including paper dust, adhesives, and oils. Because the feathers come into contact with these contaminated banknotes, they become slippery or, conversely, less slippery. Therefore, the more the feathers are used, the greater the change in their performance becomes, requiring cleaning and replacement.

[0008] The present invention provides a paper sheet processing apparatus that reduces changes in frictional force between the blades and the paper sheets due to changes in the surface condition of the blades of an impeller used in a paper sheet transport path, and that can suitably deposit banknotes into a storage tray. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to a paper sheet processing apparatus comprising: a transport path having a transport mechanism for transporting paper sheets; a storage section connected to the transport path for stacking and storing the paper sheets; and an impeller positioned on the transport path and equipped with flexible, thin blades, wherein the paper sheet processing apparatus pushes the paper sheets toward the storage section by rotating the impeller, and stores the paper sheets in the storage section, wherein the blades have an adsorption portion on the downstream side of the impeller's rotation direction that attracts the paper sheets, and the impeller rotates in conjunction with the transport mechanism, bringing the adsorption portion into contact with the transported paper sheets, attracting the paper sheets to the adsorption portion for transport. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the paper sheet processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the change in frictional force between the blades and the paper sheets due to changes in the surface condition of the blades of the impeller used in the transport path of the paper sheets, and to suitably deposit banknotes into the dispensing tray. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the external appearance of a banknote processing device. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a banknote processing device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the impeller of a banknote processing device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a side view of the impeller of a banknote processing device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 illustrates another example of a paddle wheel in a banknote processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Each figure 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, common or similar components in each figure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] The following explanation will describe paper sheet processing equipment using a banknote processing equipment as an example. It is also possible to process paper sheets similar to banknotes instead of banknotes using a banknote processing equipment. Such paper sheets include, for example, securities, checks, and sheets of paper or resin of a predetermined size.

[0014] First, the external appearance of the banknote processing device 1 will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the external appearance of the banknote processing device. The banknote processing device 1 can accept banknotes from the deposit slot 2 and dispense them from the dispensing slot 3. The banknote processing device 1 can accept multiple banknotes stacked together into the deposit slot 2. The banknotes inserted in stacks into the deposit slot 2 are separated one by one by a separation unit built into the banknote processing device 1 and then transported inside. The banknote processing device 1 is covered by a rear case 4 and a front case 5 to prevent easy access to the interior. The functional unit, including the front case 5, can be pulled out from the rear case 4. The lock 6 fixes the front case 5 to the rear case 4 and restricts the pulling out of the functional unit, including the front case 5, from the rear case 4. Access to the interior of the banknote processing device 1 is restricted by the lock 6. The lock 6 can be unlocked and locked with a key corresponding to the lock 6. The shutter 9 can open and close the dispensing slot 3. The first indicator light 7 lights up when banknotes are present in the deposit slot 2, and the second indicator light 8 lights up when banknotes are present in the withdrawal slot 3. Each indicator light shows whether banknotes are present in the deposit slot 2 or the withdrawal slot 3.

[0015] Next, we will explain the internal configuration of the banknote processing device 1 using Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the banknote processing device.

[0016] The banknote processing device 1 consists of a functional unit that separates, identifies, transports, and stores banknotes, which is covered by a rear case 4 and a front case 5. The front case 5 is equipped with a banknote deposit slot 2, a banknote dispensing slot 3, and a shutter 9 for opening and closing the dispensing slot 3.

[0017] The front case 5 has an opening where a banknote slot 2 is located for inserting banknotes. The banknotes are transported from the slot 2 towards the separation section 11 and the identification section 14, that is, from left to right on the paper in Figure 2.

[0018] The guiding plate 10 is a plate that guides banknotes from the deposit slot 2 to the back. At the back of the guiding plate 10, a separating unit 11 for separating the stacked and inserted banknotes one by one is arranged. The banknotes separated one by one by the separating unit 11 are delivered to the identification unit 14. The identification unit 14 is equipped with a first conveying belt 12 and a first conveying path roller 13, which sandwich and convey the banknotes, and the characteristics of the banknotes are detected by an identification sensor (not shown) during the conveyance. Based on this detection result, a control unit (not shown) identifies the denomination of the banknote.

[0019] The banknotes whose denominations have been identified are delivered to the circulation conveying path 15. The circulation conveying path 15 is equipped with a second conveying belt 16 and a third conveying belt 17, and further, a plurality of circulation path rollers 18 biased by these belts. The banknotes are sandwiched between the second conveying belt 16 and the circulation path rollers 18, and between the third conveying belt 17 and the circulation path rollers 18 and are conveyed. The circulation conveying path 15 is equipped with a first branching plate 19, a second branching plate 20, a third branching plate 21, a fourth branching plate 22, and a fifth branching plate 23. By changing its posture, the first branching plate 19 can either allow the banknote to pass through or guide it from the circulation conveying path 15 to the discharge tray 24. By changing its posture, the second branching plate 20 can either allow the banknote to pass through, guide it from the circulation conveying path 15 to the first storage 25, or guide it from the first storage 25 to the circulation conveying path 15. By changing its posture, the third branching plate 21 can either allow the banknote to pass through or guide it from the circulation conveying path 15 to the reject storage 26. By changing its posture, the fourth branching plate 22 can either allow the banknote to pass through, guide it from the circulation conveying path 15 to the second storage 27, or guide it from the second storage 27 to the circulation conveying path 15. By changing its posture, the fifth branching plate 23 can either allow the banknote to pass through, guide it from the circulation conveying path 15 to the third storage 28, or guide it from the third storage 28 to the circulation conveying path 15.

[0020] For example, the first storage compartment 25 stores 10,000 yen bills, the second storage compartment 27 stores 1,000 yen bills, and the third storage compartment 28 stores 5,000 yen bills. The reject storage compartment 26 stores 2,000 yen bills and counterfeit bills. Each storage compartment has an entrance and exit equipped with an entrance / exit roller pair 29, with two rollers positioned vertically, which grip the bills and rotate them forward or backward to allow them to be stored or released. Furthermore, the lower roller is a drive roller, and an impeller is fixed to the same drive shaft as the drive roller, assisting in the transport of the bills. The impeller can push bills that have passed the rollers and are no longer in contact with them to the back of the storage compartment with its blades. The bills guided to the discharge tray 24 by the first branching plate 19 are gripped and transported by a drive belt 30 and a roller (not shown). The bills are sent to the discharge tray 24 by an impeller 31 fixed coaxially with the pulley that drives the drive belt 30. The impeller 31 is positioned directly in front of the discharge tray 24. Two drive belts 30 are arranged parallel to each other in the depth direction of the paper in Figure 2, and the impeller 31 is positioned next to the two drive belts 30. The impeller 31 is positioned outside the two drive belts 30, but may be positioned between them, preferably very close together with the drive belts 30, within 10 mm. Above the pulley that drives the drive belts 30, there is a roller (not shown) biased in the direction of the drive belts 30. The banknotes are held between this roller and the drive belts 30, and the blades of the impeller 31, positioned next to the drive belts 30, come into contact with the held banknotes. The suction part of the impeller 31, described later, comes into contact near the position where the banknotes are held, so it presses against the banknotes and can effectively suction them. When the trailing edge of a banknote passes between the roller and the drive belt 30, the banknote is ejected by inertia and then pushed by the blades of the impeller 31 into the discharge tray 24. The discharge tray 24 is a storage unit for stacking and storing banknotes. The discharge tray 24 stores banknotes in stacks according to the denomination and number of banknotes corresponding to the amount to be withdrawn. After all the banknotes to be withdrawn are stacked on the discharge tray 24, the shutter 9 opens and the banknotes become available for removal.

[0021] Next, the impeller 31 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the impeller of the banknote processing apparatus.

[0022] The impeller 31 is disposed at the final stage of the conveyance path connected to the discharge tray 24 (see FIG. 2) for stacking banknotes. The impeller 31 rotates in联动 with the banknote conveyance mechanism. The impeller 31 has a plurality of blade portions 33 arranged at equal intervals. For example, three blade portions 33 are provided at 120-degree intervals on the outer periphery of the cylindrical base portion 32. The blade portion 33 is made of flexible resin and is a thin, flat film. An adsorption portion 34 is provided on the tip side of each blade portion 33. The adsorption portion 34 is disposed on the downstream surface of the blade portion 33 in the rotation direction of the impeller 31. The adsorption portion 34 temporarily adsorbs the conveyed banknotes. The adsorption portion 34 has a rim portion 35 that protrudes cylindrically from the surface of the blade portion 33. The rim portion 35 is made of flexible resin and easily变形 when an external force is applied and returns to its original shape when the force is removed. A depression with a flat portion on the bottom surface is provided inside the rim portion 35. Further, a negative pressure adjustment hole 36 penetrating the blade portion 33 is disposed on the bottom surface of the adsorption portion 34. Since the adsorption portion 34 abuts on the banknotes held in the conveyance path, it can preferably adsorb the banknotes, and since it exhausts from the negative pressure adjustment hole 36 after adsorption, it can preferably peel off the banknotes, and can temporarily adsorb and convey the banknotes.

[0023] It should be noted that there is an unclear expression "联动" in the original text, and a more accurate word may need to be determined according to the actual situation. Also, "变形" is used in an inappropriate form in the translation, and the correct form may need to be adjusted according to the context.The suction part 34 deforms so that the volume of the internal space between the rim part 35 and the recess decreases when the opening of the rim part 35 is blocked by a banknote. For example, the height of the rim part 35 from the surface of the wing part 33 is reduced, and the force of returning to its original shape creates negative pressure in the internal space. The suction part 34 attracts the banknote, and after attracting the banknote, air enters the internal space through the negative pressure adjustment hole 36, and the negative pressure is released. Between the wing part 33 including the suction part 34 and the banknote, the force due to the negative pressure is released, and only the force due to friction acts. The suction part 34 is a type of suction cup that temporarily attracts and transports the banknote, and then transports it by friction, thus reducing the impact of dust and other debris. The suction part 34 is anything other than a suction cup that attracts banknotes, and can be anything that is not easily affected by paper dust, etc. For example, it could be a mechanism in which a small hole is made in the blade part 33 that connects to the base part 32, a negative pressure generating means such as a pump is connected to the base part 32, and the banknotes are attached and detached by sucking in and exhausting air. Another example is a configuration in which a cleaning means for cleaning the suction part 34 is provided in the rotation path of the blade part 33, and the blade part 33 is cleaned to maintain the suction force.

[0024] The height of the rim portion 35 from the wing portion 33 is approximately the same as the thickness of the wing portion 33. If it is too high, transport becomes unstable, and if it is too low, it becomes difficult to deform.

[0025] The exhaust capacity of the negative pressure adjustment hole 36 should preferably be adjustable according to the rotational speed of the impeller 31 and the banknote transport speed. For example, it is desirable that the impeller 31 be equipped with a mechanism to change the opening area of ​​the negative pressure adjustment hole 36. The shape of the hole can be determined in advance based on experiments or other methods.

[0026] The base portion 32 is substantially cylindrical in shape. The outer circumference of the base portion 32 is provided with a blade portion 33, and the inner circumference is provided with a thickened portion 37. The thickened portion 37 has a recess 38, which is a straight groove, arranged along the height direction of the cylindrical base portion 32. In order to rotate the impeller 31, a shaft having an outer diameter corresponding to the inner circumference is inserted into the inner circumference of the base portion 32 and fixed in place. The shaft rotates in conjunction with the banknote transport mechanism.

[0027] Next, the impeller 31 will be explained using Figure 4. Figure 4 is a side view of the impeller of the banknote processing device.

[0028] The suction portion 34 has a flat bottom surface 40 parallel to the surface of the blade portion 33, located inside the rim portion 35 that protrudes from the surface of the blade portion 33. The rim portion 35 is positioned around the opening of the recess provided in the blade portion 33. The area of ​​the bottom surface 40, which is the bottom of the recess, is smaller than the area of ​​the opening at the tip of the rim portion 35. It is not necessarily required to provide a recess in the blade portion 33 to form a recess; the suction cup can be formed simply by positioning the rim portion 35 on the surface of the blade portion 33. It is preferable to provide a recess in the blade portion 33 to increase the volume of the cup portion of the suction cup. The suction portion 34 has a slope 39 that gradually widens in diameter from the bottom surface 40 toward the tip of the rim portion 35. The suction portion 34 has a negative pressure adjustment hole 36 located approximately in the center of the bottom surface 40. The blade portion 33 is provided with its tip retracted from the surface of the base portion 32 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the impeller 31. The wing portion 33 is positioned at an angle, not vertically, from the base portion 32.

[0029] Next, another example of the suction unit 34 will be described using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating another example of the impeller of a banknote processing device.

[0030] The bottom surface 40 of the suction part 34 located at the tip of the impeller 31 has multiple negative pressure adjustment holes 36, three in this case, that penetrate to the back side of the blade part 33. The slider 43, shown by a solid line, shows the state where all negative pressure adjustment holes 36 are open, and the slider 44, shown by a dotted line, shows the state where all negative pressure adjustment holes 36 are closed. The slider 43 is a closing means for closing the negative pressure adjustment holes 36. The slider 43 moves along the opening of the negative pressure adjustment holes 36, opening and closing the opening. The slider 43 can move along the sliding surface provided on the blade part 33. Depending on the position, the slider 43 can change the number of open negative pressure adjustment holes 36, that is, it can change the total opening area of ​​the negative pressure adjustment holes 36. If there are more open negative pressure adjustment holes 36, the time it takes to eliminate the negative pressure can be shortened. The slider 43 is an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the speed of negative pressure elimination. A slope 39 is provided, with an opening that gradually widens from the bottom surface 40 towards the rim portion 35. Furthermore, the slider 43 can be slid to expand or contract the opening area of ​​the negative pressure adjustment hole 36, thereby allowing for adjustment of the time required to relieve negative pressure.

[0031] The edge of the tip of the rim portion 35 is provided with a curved portion 42 to prevent banknotes from getting caught. In addition, the base portion 32 (see Figure 3) of the suction portion 34 is provided with an inclined portion 41 that extends from the surface of the wing portion 33 toward the curved portion 42 at the tip of the rim portion 35. The rim portion 35 is gradually thickened from the tip toward the base without affecting the deformation of the rim portion 35, and measures are taken to prevent banknotes from getting caught at the base of the rim portion 35. Furthermore, by making the step of the rim portion 35 an inclined surface, the wing portion 33 can prevent banknotes from getting caught on the step and a sudden large force from being applied to the tip of the rim portion 35 when banknotes are transported by friction after the negative pressure is released, thereby preventing banknote transport malfunctions and damage to the wing portion 33. The rim portion 35 has a thinner construction at the tip end of the wing portion 33 compared to the base end end. By varying the thickness of the wing portion 33, flexible and less flexible parts are created, making it easier to deform to a desired position and facilitating the creation of negative pressure by bringing the suction portion 34 into suitable contact with the banknote. The rim portion 35 of the suction portion 34 has both thin and thick sections, and although a circular opening has been described, a polygonal or elliptical opening is also possible. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0032] 1. Banknote processing device 2 Deposit port 3 Withdrawal port 4 Rear Cases 5 Front Case 6 Rock 7 1st indicator light 8 2nd indicator light 9 Shutter 10 Information board 11 Separation part 12. First conveyor belt 13. First conveyor path roller 14 Identification Unit 15 Circular transport route 16. Second conveyor belt 17. Third conveyor belt 18 Circulation path roller 19. First branching plate 20 Second Branch Plate 21 Third Branch Plate 22. Fourth branching plate 23 Fifth Branch Board 24 Discharge trays 25 Hangar 1 26 Reject Hangar 27 Hangar 2 28 Hangar 3 29 Inlet / Outlet Roller Pair 30 Drive belt 31 Impeller 32 Base 33. Wing section 34 Adsorption part 35 Rim section 36 Negative pressure adjustment holes 37 Thick part 38 recesses 39 Slope 40 Bottom 41 Slope 42 Curved section 43 Slider 44 Slider

Claims

1. A transport path having a transport mechanism for transporting paper sheets, A storage unit connected to the aforementioned transport path for stacking and storing the paper sheets, An impeller equipped with flexible, thin plate-shaped blades is arranged on the aforementioned transport path. It has, In a paper sheet processing apparatus that rotates the impeller to push the paper sheets toward the storage section and stores the paper sheets in the storage section, The blade has an adsorption portion on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the impeller that attracts the paper sheets, The paper sheet processing apparatus is characterized in that the impeller rotates in conjunction with the conveying mechanism, the suction part comes into contact with the paper sheets being conveyed, and the paper sheets are attracted to the suction part and conveyed.

2. The adsorption part has a means for relieving negative pressure, The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the adsorption unit adsorbs the paper sheets by negative pressure, and the negative pressure is relieved by the negative pressure relief means during the transport of the paper sheets after adsorption.

3. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the adsorption portion includes a suction cup composed of a flexible rim portion protruding from the surface of the blade and a recess that is recessed from the opening of the rim portion.

4. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the bottom surface of the recess has a negative pressure adjustment hole through which the blade passes.

5. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the adsorption portion moves along the opening of the negative pressure adjustment hole and has a slider that opens and closes the opening.

6. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the outer circumference of the rim portion is inclined to become thicker from the tip to the base of the rim portion.

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