Coin processing device and currency handling device

Abstract

To convey coins stably.SOLUTION: A coin processing device 4 is provided with a plurality of coin storage parts 30 having a storage space 31 that stores a coin CN and a discharge port 35 through which the coin CN stored in the storage space 31 is discharged, and a central conveyance part 22 that conveys the coin CN discharged through the discharge port 35. The coin storage parts 30 are arranged on both sides with the central conveyance part 22 interposed therebetween, and the coin storage parts 30 opposed to each other with the central conveyance part 22 interposed therebetween are different in a discharge angle Ar of the coin CN from the discharge port 35 to the central conveyance part 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin processing device and a currency handling device, and is suitably applied to, for example, a currency handling device that handles currency (i.e., coins and paper money). [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in a relatively large retail store (such as a supermarket), a cash register as a currency handling device that handles banknotes and coins may be installed at each of a plurality of checkout stations where customers carry out checkout processing. For example, some of these currency handling devices have a banknote processing device that processes banknotes and a coin processing device that processes coins.

[0003] Among these, the coin processing device has a coin insertion section that dispenses inserted coins one by one, a transport section that transports the coins, a recognition section that identifies the denomination and authenticity of the coins, a storage vault that stores coins by denomination, a coin dispensing section that dispenses change to the user, and a return section that returns the coins to the user. When coins sorted by denomination in the recognition section are to be stored inside the coin processing device, they are stored in the storage vault, and when they are to be returned to the user, they are stored in the return section. In addition, this coin processing device dispenses coins to be dispensed as change to the user from the storage vault and transports them to the coin dispensing section.

[0004] In such coin processing devices, as shown in FIG. 12, the coin storage units 30 (coin storage units 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E and 30F) that store coins are arranged on the left and right sides to shorten the depth of the device, and a central conveying unit 22, which is, for example, a belt conveying mechanism that runs along the front-to-rear direction, is provided between the coin storage units 30A, 30B and 30C arranged on the left side and the coin storage units 30D, 30E and 30F arranged on the right side, and coins are released from the left and right coin storage units 30 to the central conveying unit 22, which then conveys the coins to the coin dispensing tray 28 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-198008 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in such a coin processing device, when coins CN (coins CN100 and CN10) are simultaneously discharged from coin storage units 30C and 30D arranged on the left and right sides, for example, to the central transport unit 22 as shown in Fig. 12, depending on the timing of the discharge, these coins CN100 and CN10 may collide and bounce off each other on the central transport unit 22, and may fly out to an unexpected place. Also, since the coins CN are not stably discharged to the central transport unit 22, it may take longer than expected to transport the coins, resulting in a malfunction.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a coin processing device and a currency handling device that can transport coins stably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve such problems, the coin processing device of the present invention is provided with a plurality of coin storage units each having a storage space for storing coins and a coin discharge port for discharging the coins stored in the storage space, and a transport unit for transporting the coins discharged from the discharge port, and the coin storage units are arranged on both sides of the transport unit, and the coin discharge angle from the discharge port to the transport unit differs between the coin storage units facing each other across the transport unit. The release angle is an angle inclined toward the coin conveying direction with respect to a direction perpendicular to the coin conveying direction in the conveying section. I did so.

[0009] The currency handling device of the present invention includes an operation unit that accepts operations related to coin processing, a plurality of coin storage units each having an input port through which coins are inserted, a storage space for storing coins, and an outlet port for discharging coins stored in the storage space, and a transport unit that transports coins discharged from the outlet port, the coin storage units being disposed on both sides of the transport unit, and the coin discharge angle from the outlet port to the transport unit being different between the coin storage units facing each other across the transport unit. The release angle is an angle inclined toward the coin conveying direction with respect to a direction perpendicular to the coin conveying direction in the conveying section. I did so.

[0010] This prevents the paths of coins moving from opposing coin storage units across the transport unit to the transport unit from overlapping, making it less likely for the coins to collide with each other. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a coin processing device and a currency handling device capable of transporting coins stably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a currency handling device. [Diagram 2] 1 shows the configuration of a coin processing device, with (A) being a front view and (B) being a right side view. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of a coin storage section. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the emission angle. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the dispensing operation (1) when dispensing money. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the dispensing operation (2) when dispensing money. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the dispensing operation (3) during withdrawal. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the dispensing operation (4) during withdrawal. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the dispensing operation (5) when dispensing money. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the configuration of a coin storage unit according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a conventional dispensing operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] [1. Overall configuration of currency handling equipment] As shown in FIG. 1, the currency handling device 1 is generally formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and is broadly composed of a banknote handling device 2 that handles banknotes, a coin handling device 4 that handles coins, a display operation unit 11, and a receipt printer 12. The banknote handling device 2 and the coin handling device 4 are housed in a housing 6 formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape. The currency handling device 1 is operated by a cashier at a checkout counter (a so-called cash register) of a retail store such as a supermarket or convenience store when a customer pays for products that he or she wishes to purchase. In the following description, the side of the currency handling device 1 that a user faces is defined as the front side, the opposite side as the rear side, and the left and right sides as viewed from the user facing the front side are defined as the left side and the right side, respectively, with upper and lower sides further defined.

[0015] The control unit 8 is located inside the housing 6 and has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. (not shown), and performs various processes by executing predetermined programs read from the ROM etc. by the CPU, thereby providing overall control of the entire currency handling device 1.

[0016] The banknote processing device 2 takes in banknotes inserted by an operator through the banknote deposit port 9 and stores them in an internal banknote storage vault (not shown), and also pays out banknotes from the banknote storage vault as instructed by the control unit 8 and dispenses them as change from the banknote withdrawal port 10.

[0017] The coin processing device 4 takes in coins inserted by an operator from the coin insertion slot 14A and stores them in the internal coin storage unit 30 (coin storage units 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E and 30F) (FIG. 3), and also pays out coins instructed by the control unit 8 from the coin storage unit 30 and dispenses them as change from the coin dispensing tray 28. Incidentally, like general coins, coins are made of metals such as nickel, copper, aluminum, etc., or alloys or combinations of these, and are formed into thin plates.

[0018] The display operation unit 11 is configured as a so-called touch panel in which a touch sensor is combined with the surface of a display panel having a display function, such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel. This display operation unit 11 displays various display screens such as the name and price of recognized products under the control of the control unit 8, and also accepts touch operations by the user and notifies the control unit 8. In response to this, the control unit 8 increases or decreases the quantity of products, corrects the price, etc.

[0019] The receipt printer 12 has a similar configuration to a general thermal printer, for example, and includes a holder that holds a roll of thermal paper, a transport mechanism that transports the thermal paper pulled out from the roll, and a thermal head that uses heat to print characters, figures, etc. on the thermal paper. The receipt printer 12 prints the name and price of the recognized product on a receipt and ejects it.

[0020] [2. Configuration of the coin processing device] As shown in Fig. 2, the coin processing device 4 is composed mainly of a box-shaped housing 6, and performs cash-related transactions such as deposit and withdrawal processing with users. For convenience of drawing, Fig. 2 is drawn in a schematic manner with appropriate omission of the internal configuration of the housing 6, such as members such as a transport guide that guides while regulating the movement range of the coins, and also shows a schematic diagram of the coin transport path.

[0021] The coin deposit section 14 is provided near the front end of the top surface of the housing 6, and is a section for receiving coins inserted by the user. This coin deposit section 14 has a coin insertion opening 14A located on the upper side through which coins are inserted, and a coin dispensing section 14B located below it for dispensing the coins. The coin insertion opening 14A is configured in a mortar shape that is wide on the upper side and narrow on the lower side, and opens widely to make it easy to insert coins all at once. Coins inserted into the coin insertion opening 14A fall into the coin dispensing section 14B.

[0022] The coin payout unit 14B is located below the coin deposit unit 14, and has a rotating disk provided inside. The coin payout unit 14B moves coins to the outer periphery by centrifugal force generated when the rotating disk rotates, separates and pays out the coins one by one, and delivers the coins to the coin sending unit 15. The coin sending unit 15 has rollers facing each other above and below, and when it receives coins from the coin payout unit 14B, it rotates the rollers at a predetermined timing and delivers the coins sequentially to the coin validator 16.

[0023] The coin validator 16 has various sensors (not shown) that recognize the characteristics of the coin, such as an image sensor or a magnetic sensor. The coin validator 16 recognizes the characteristics of the coin dispensed from the coin dispenser 15, and performs validation of the coin, such as its authenticity, denomination, and fitness, based on the characteristics, and notifies the control unit 8 (FIG. 1) of the obtained validation result, while transferring the coin to the sorting and transport unit 17. At this time, the control unit 8 determines the transport destination of the coin.

[0024] In the sorting and conveying section 17, a conveying path along which coins are conveyed is formed substantially horizontally, and a reject hole 18 and six receiving holes 19 are provided along this conveying path. Note that FIG. 2 shows only three of the six receiving holes 19, which are a part provided on the right side. The reject hole 18 is a section for sorting coins that are determined to be unauthentic based on the coin discrimination result by the coin discrimination section 16, for example, in a deposit transaction, or foreign objects such as coins of other countries that are not subject to handling or medals of amusement facilities (hereinafter these are also called rejected coins). Each receiving hole 19 is a section for sorting coins that are determined to be authentic (hereinafter these are also called genuine coins) by denomination, and six denominations, such as 500 yen, 100 yen, 50 yen, 10 yen, 5 yen, and 1 yen, are assigned to each of them.

[0025] The reject hole 18 is provided with a sorting gate (not shown) that opens and closes under the control of the control unit 8. When the reject hole 18 is closed, the sorting gate allows the coins to proceed along the sorting transport unit 17, whereas when the reject hole 18 is open, the coins are dropped and discharged. Each receiving hole 19 is provided with a sorting gate (not shown) similar to the reject hole 18.

[0026] With this configuration, the sorting and transporting unit 17 transports the coins received from the coin discriminating unit 16 along the transport path, and sorts the coins under the control of the control unit 8. Specifically, the sorting and transporting unit 17 ejects rejected coins that have been discriminated as not genuine from the reject hole 18, while ejecting genuine coins that have been discriminated as genuine from the receiving hole 19 corresponding to their denominations.

[0027] A reject chute 20 is provided below the reject hole 18, which guides the ejected coins downward while advancing them. Meanwhile, a chute 21 is provided below each receiving hole 19, which guides the ejected coins downward while advancing them. Six coin storage units 30 (coin storage units 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F) shown in Fig. 3 are provided below each chute 21. Like each receiving hole 19, each coin storage unit 30 is assigned a denomination.

[0028] A central conveying section 22 is provided below the reject chute 20 (FIG. 2) between the coin storage sections 30A, 30B, and 30C and the coin storage sections 30D, 30E, and 30F (FIG. 3). The central conveying section 22 is disposed in a range from the rear ends of the coin storage sections 30C and 30D to the lift dispensing conveying section 26 in the front-rear direction. The central conveying section 22 is composed of pulleys disposed at the front and rear ends and an endless belt stretched so as to extend in the front-rear direction along the periphery of the pulley in a substantially horizontal direction. The central conveying section 22 rotates the pulley counterclockwise in FIG. 2(B) based on the control of the control section 8. Therefore, the central conveying section 22 moves the upper surface of the endless belt in the conveying direction Dt, which is forward toward the collection box 24. Hereinafter, the thickness direction (vertical direction) along the thickness of the coin when its plate surface is in contact with the conveyor belt of the central conveyor unit 22 and the left-right direction perpendicular to the conveying direction Dt are also referred to as the conveying width direction Dw. The width of the conveying width direction Dw in the central conveyor unit 22 is set to less than twice the diameter of the largest coin, which is the coin with the largest diameter among the coins handled in the coin processing device 4.

[0029] A collection box 24 is provided below the central transport unit 22 (FIG. 2) near the front end portion. The collection box 24 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top, and stores rejected coins.

[0030] Further, the lift withdrawal transport section 26 is provided in front of the central transport section 22. The lift withdrawal transport section 26 is mainly composed of a lift withdrawal transport section 26R provided on the right side and a lift withdrawal transport section 26L provided on the left side. The lift withdrawal transport sections 26R and 12L are each composed of a belt and a pulley arranged at a bending point of the moving direction of the belt and stretched around the belt. The pulley is formed in a cylindrical shape with a central axis along the front-rear direction and can rotate around the central axis. The belt is an endless belt having a predetermined length (i.e. width) in the front-rear direction and is stretched around the pulley so as to extend in the up-down direction as a whole. In this configuration, the lift withdrawal transport section 26 sandwiches coins between the belt of the lift withdrawal transport section 26R and the belt of the lift withdrawal transport section 26L and transports them upward to the coin withdrawal tray 28.

[0031] The coin dispensing tray 28 is provided on the front surface of the housing 6, has an open top surface, and is disposed so as to be accessible to a user from the front surface. The coin dispensing tray 28 stores coins of a denomination and number corresponding to the amount of change transported from the lift dispensing transport unit 26.

[0032] Further, a gate (not shown) is provided in the lift dispensing transport section 26. When the gate closes a hole (not shown) on the coin transport path of the lift dispensing transport section 26, the coin is advanced along the lift dispensing transport section 26, whereas when the gate opens the hole, the coin is dropped and discharged into the collection box 24.

[0033] In this configuration, the coin processing device 4 transports coins that have dropped from the reject hole 18 to the central transport section 22 forward toward the lift withdrawal transport section 26 by the central transport section 22, and drops and stores them in the collection box 24. Meanwhile, the coin processing device 4 transports coins to be dispensed that have been fed from the coin storage section 30 to the central transport section 22 forward toward the lift withdrawal transport section 26 by the central transport section 22, and transports them to the coin withdrawal tray 28 by the lift withdrawal transport section 26 for dispensing.

[0034] [3. Configuration of coin storage section] As shown in Fig. 3, in the coin processing device 4, on the left side, which is one direction side in the conveying width direction Dw from the central conveying unit 22, coin storage units 30A, 30B, and 30C having substantially the same configuration are arranged to be aligned in the front-rear direction from the front side to the rear side. Also, in the coin processing device 4, on the right side, which is the other direction side in the conveying width direction Dw from the central conveying unit 22, coin storage units 30D, 30E, and 30F having substantially the same configuration are arranged to be aligned in the front-rear direction from the rear side to the front side. Hereinafter, the coin storage units 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F are collectively referred to as coin storage units 30.

[0035] The coin storage unit 30A and the coin storage unit 30F are arranged at the same position with respect to the conveying direction Dt. Therefore, the coin storage unit 30A and the coin storage unit 30F face each other in the left-right direction (conveying width direction Dw) with the central conveying unit 22 in between. The coin storage units 30A and 30F are arranged at the same position with respect to the conveying direction Dt with respect to each other, and face each other in the left-right direction (conveying width direction Dw) with the central conveying unit 22 in between, forming a pair of coin storage units 30, and this pair is also referred to as an opposing storage unit pair 29a.

[0036] The coin storage unit 30B and the coin storage unit 30E are disposed at the same position with respect to the conveying direction Dt. Therefore, the coin storage unit 30B and the coin storage unit 30E face each other in the left-right direction (conveying width direction Dw) with the central conveying unit 22 in between. The coin storage units 30B and 30E form one facing storage unit pair 29b.

[0037] Furthermore, the coin storage unit 30C and the coin storage unit 30D are arranged at the same position with respect to the conveying direction Dt. Therefore, the coin storage unit 30C and the coin storage unit 30D face each other in the left-right direction (conveying width direction Dw) with the central conveying unit 22 in between. The coin storage units 30C and 30D form one opposing storage unit set 29c. In this manner, the opposing storage unit sets 29c, 29b, and 29a are arranged along the conveying direction Dt from the rear side to the front side. Hereinafter, the opposing storage unit sets 29a, 29b, and 29c are collectively referred to as the opposing storage unit set 29.

[0038] The coin storage units 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F are assigned to different denominations of coins to be stored, and store 500 yen coins (coin CN500), 1 yen coins (coin CN1), 100 yen coins (coin CN100), 10 yen coins (coin CN10), 5 yen coins (coin CN5), and 50 yen coins (coin CN50), respectively. Hereinafter, coin CN500, coin CN1, coin CN100, coin CN10, coin CN5, and coin CN50 will be collectively referred to as coin CN.

[0039] The coin storage unit 30 has a hollow, three-dimensional shape that is a predetermined polygon when viewed from the front and a rectangle when viewed from the right, and has an opening at the top. Therefore, each coin storage unit 30 stores coins of different denominations that drop from the chute 21 (FIG. 2) from the opening into the internal storage space 31 (storage spaces 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D, 31E, and 31F) while maintaining the coins sorted by denomination.

[0040] Since the coin storage units 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F are configured almost the same as one another, the following will describe the coin storage unit 30A as an example. The coin storage unit 30A is provided with a disk 32A that forms the bottom of the storage space 31. The coin storage unit 30A rotates the disk 32A based on the control of the control unit 8 (FIG. 1), and the coins CN500 are moved to the outer periphery by centrifugal force generated when the disk 32A rotates, and the coins CN500 are separated and fed out one by one, and the coins CN500 are delivered to the discharge mechanism 33A. The discharge mechanism 33A has rollers facing each other at the front and rear, and when the discharge mechanism 33A receives the coin CN500 from the disk 32A, the rollers are rotated to discharge the coin CN500 to the central conveyance unit 22 via the discharge conveyance path 34A and the discharge port 35A. A discharge conveying path 34A is formed on the central conveying section 22 side of the discharge mechanism 33A, which guides the coin CN500 ejected by the discharge mechanism 33A to the central conveying section 22. A discharge port 35A, which is an opening that connects the storage space 31A and the central conveying section 22, is formed at the end of the discharge conveying path 34A on the central conveying section 22 side. This discharge port 35A is located above the upper surface of the conveying belt of the central conveying section 22.

[0041] A storage container transport path guide 40fA and a storage container transport path guide 40bA are disposed on the front and rear sides of the discharge transport path 34A. The storage container transport path guide 40fA has a guide surface 40fSA (FIG. 4) which is a linear rear end surface. The storage container transport path guide 40bA has a guide surface 40bSA (FIG. 4) which is a linear front end surface and is parallel to the guide surface 40fSA and faces the guide surface 40fSA in the front-rear direction across the discharge transport path 34A. The guide surfaces 40fSA and 40bSA are spaced apart slightly wider than the diameter of the coin CN500 stored in the coin storage unit 30A, and are formed to extend linearly from the discharge mechanism 33A to the discharge port 35A in a direction along the discharge angle Ara (described later). Hereinafter, the storage container transport path guides 40fA and 40bA are collectively referred to as storage container transport path guides 40A, and the guide surfaces 40fSA and 40bSA are collectively referred to as guide surfaces 40SA. The storage container transport path guide 40A guides the movement of the coin CN500 discharged from the storage space 31A to the central transport section 22 by the guide surfaces 40fSA and 40bSA.

[0042] The above has been described regarding the coin storage unit 30A, but the coin storage units 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F are also configured in substantially the same manner as the coin storage unit 30A. That is, the coin storage unit 30A includes a storage space 31A, a disk 32A, a discharge mechanism 33A, a discharge conveying path 34A, a discharge port 35A, and a storage container conveying path guide 40A, the coin storage unit 30B includes a storage space 31B, a disk 32B, a discharge mechanism 33B, a discharge conveying path 34B, a discharge port 35B, and a storage container conveying path guide 40B, and the coin storage unit 30C includes a storage space 31C, a disk 32C, a discharge mechanism 33C, a discharge conveying path 34C, a discharge port 35C, and a storage container conveying path guide 40C. The coin storage section 30D is provided with a storage space 31D, a disk 32D, a discharge mechanism 33D, a discharge conveying path 34D, a discharge outlet 35D and a storage container conveying path guide 40D; the coin storage section 30E is provided with a storage space 31E, a disk 32E, a discharge mechanism 33E, a discharge conveying path 34E, a discharge outlet 35E and a storage container conveying path guide 40E; and the coin storage section 30F is provided with a storage space 31F, a disk 32F, a discharge mechanism 33F, a discharge conveying path 34F, a discharge outlet 35F and a storage container conveying path guide 40F.

[0043] In the following, storage spaces 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D, 31E and 31F are collectively referred to as storage spaces 31, discs 32A, 32B, 32C, 32D, 32E and 32F are collectively referred to as discs 32, discharge mechanisms 33A, 33B, 33C, 33D, 33E and 33F are collectively referred to as discharge mechanism 33, discharge conveying paths 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D, 34E and 34F are collectively referred to as discharge conveying path 34, discharge openings 35A, 35B, 35C, 35D, 35E and 35F are collectively referred to as discharge opening 35, and storage container conveying path guides 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, 40E and 40F are collectively referred to as storage container conveying path guides 40. The heights of all of the discharge openings 35A, 35B, 35C, 35D, 35E and 35F relative to the central conveying section 22 are set to be the same as one another.

[0044] [4. About emission angle] Here, taking the coin storage unit 30A as an example of the coin storage unit 30 on one side in the conveying width direction Dw (left-right direction) from the central conveying unit 22, as shown in Fig. 4, the angle of the traveling direction of a coin (not shown) conveyed along the guide surface 40SA in the discharge conveying path 34A and discharged to the central conveying unit 22 (Fig. 3) when passing through the discharge port 35A with respect to the conveying width direction Dw is called the discharge angle Ara. The guide surface 40SA is inclined toward the conveying direction Dt side (front side) with respect to the conveying width direction Dw (left-right direction) on the central conveying unit 22 side (right side) more than on the storage space 31A side (left side). Therefore, the discharge angle Ara is inclined toward the conveying direction Dt with respect to the conveying width direction Dw.

[0045] On the other hand, when the coin storage unit 30F is described as an example of the coin storage unit 30 on the other side in the conveying width direction Dw than the central conveying unit 22, the angle of the traveling direction of the coin (not shown) conveyed along the guide surface 40SF in the discharge conveying path 34F and discharged to the central conveying unit 22 (FIG. 3) when passing through the discharge port 35F with respect to the conveying width direction Dw is called the discharge angle Arb. The guide surface 40SF is inclined toward the conveying direction Dt side (front side) with respect to the conveying width direction Dw (left-right direction) on the central conveying unit 22 side (left side) more than on the storage space 31F side (right side). Therefore, the discharge angle Arb is inclined toward the conveying direction Dt with respect to the conveying width direction Dw. Hereinafter, the discharge angles Ara and Arb are collectively referred to as the discharge angle Ar.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 4, in the opposing storage unit set 29a, the release angle Ara of the coin storage unit 30A is set to an angle smaller than the release angle Arb of the coin storage unit 30F. Therefore, the release angle Ara of the coin storage unit 30A and the release angle Arb of the coin storage unit 30F are different. In this embodiment, the release angle Ara is set to, for example, 15[°], and the release angle Arb is set to, for example, 30[°].

[0047] Similarly to the opposing storage unit set 29a, in the opposing storage unit set 29b, the release angle Ara of the coin storage unit 30B is set to an angle smaller than the release angle Arb of the coin storage unit 30E. Therefore, the release angle Ara of the coin storage unit 30B is different from the release angle Arb of the coin storage unit 30E.

[0048] Further, in the opposing storage unit set 29c, similarly to the opposing storage unit set 29a, the release angle Ara of the coin storage unit 30C is set to an angle smaller than the release angle Arb of the coin storage unit 30D. Therefore, the release angle Ara of the coin storage unit 30C is different from the release angle Arb of the coin storage unit 30D.

[0049] In this way, in the coin processing device 4, in each opposing storage unit pair 29, the release angles Ar of the coin storage units 30 that face each other in the left-right direction across the central conveying unit 22 are different from each other. Furthermore, the release angles Ar of the coin storage units 30A, 30B, and 30C located on the left side of the central conveying unit 22 and aligned along the front-rear direction are the same as each other in release angle Ara. Furthermore, the release angles Ar of the coin storage units 30D, 30E, and 30F located on the right side of the central conveying unit 22 and aligned along the front-rear direction are the same as each other in release angle Arb.

[0050] These release angles Ara and Arb are set at angles such that when coins CN are simultaneously released from one coin storage section 30 and the other coin storage section 30 in the opposing storage section set 29 toward the central conveying section 22, the released coins CN do not collide with each other.

[0051] Furthermore, since the release angle Arb is set larger than the release angle Ara, when the distance in the conveying width direction Dw between the release mechanism 33 and the release outlet 35 in the coin storage section 30 on the left side of the central conveying section 22 and the distance in the conveying width direction Dw between the release mechanism 33 and the release outlet 35 in the coin storage section 30 on the right side of the central conveying section 22 are set to be the same, the conveying path length of the discharge conveying path 34 in the coin storage section 30 on the right side of the central conveying section 22 will be longer than the conveying path length of the discharge conveying path 34 in the coin storage section 30 on the left side of the central conveying section 22.

[0052] [5. About component forces] Here, as shown in Fig. 5, a releasing force F, which is a force directed in a direction inclined by a releasing angle Ara (Fig. 4) from the conveying width direction Dw, is applied from the releasing mechanism 33A to the coin CN500 discharged from the storage space 31A to the central conveying section 22. Since this releasing force F is inclined with respect to the conveying width direction Dw, it is decomposed into a releasing force conveying direction component force Ft directed toward the conveying direction Dt, and a releasing force conveying width direction component force Fw directed toward the conveying width direction Dw. Therefore, not only the releasing force conveying width direction component force Fw directed toward the conveying width direction Dw, but also the releasing force conveying direction component force Ft directed toward the conveying direction Dt is applied to the coin CN500.

[0053] Similarly, although not shown, a release force F, which is a force directed in a direction inclined by a release angle Arb (FIG. 4) from the conveying width direction Dw, is applied from the release mechanism 33F to the coin CN50 discharged from the storage space 31F to the central conveying section 22. Since this release force F is inclined with respect to the conveying width direction Dw, it is decomposed into a release force conveying direction component force Ft directed toward the conveying direction Dt and a release force conveying width direction component force Fw directed toward the conveying width direction Dw. Therefore, not only the release force conveying width direction component force Fw directed toward the conveying width direction Dw but also the release force conveying direction component force Ft directed toward the conveying direction Dt is applied to the coin CN50. The above has been described for the coin storage sections 30A and 30F, but the same is true for the coin storage sections 30B, 30C, 30D, and 30E.

[0054] [6. Location of the outlet] As shown in Fig. 3, the discharge port 35A of the coin storage unit 30A is provided at approximately the center of the coin storage unit 30A in the transport direction Dt. In contrast, the discharge port 35F of the coin storage unit 30F is provided near the leading end side of the coin storage unit 30F in the transport direction Dt. Therefore, in the opposing storage unit pair 29a, the discharge port 35A of the coin storage unit 30A and the discharge port 35F of the coin storage unit 30F are located at different positions in the transport direction Dt.

[0055] Similarly, in the opposing storage unit set 29b, the positions of the outlet 35B of the coin storage unit 30B and the outlet 35E of the coin storage unit 30E in the transport direction Dt are different from each other. Similarly, in the opposing storage unit set 29c, the positions of the outlet 35C of the coin storage unit 30C and the outlet 35D of the coin storage unit 30D in the transport direction Dt are different from each other.

[0056] In this way, in the coin processing device 4, in each opposing storage unit pair 29, the positions of the discharge openings 35 of the coin storage units 30 that face each other in the left-right direction across the central transport unit 22 are different from each other in the transport direction Dt. In addition, the discharge openings 35A, 35B, and 35C of the coin storage units 30A, 30B, and 30C that are located on the left side of the central transport unit 22 and aligned along the front-rear direction have the same positional relationship with each of the storage spaces 31A, 31B, and 31C. In addition, the discharge openings 35D, 35E, and 35F of the coin storage units 30D, 30E, and 30F that are located on the right side of the central transport unit 22 and aligned along the front-rear direction have the same positional relationship with each of the storage spaces 31D, 31E, and 31F.

[0057] [7. Withdrawal operation] In this configuration, a pay-out operation at the time of dispensing, which pays out coins CN from the coin storage units 30 to the central conveying unit 22 at the time of dispensing, will be described. When the pay-out operation at the time of dispensing is started, the disk 32 of each coin storage unit 30 starts to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 by a drive source and a drive transmission mechanism (not shown), and pushes out the coin CN to each discharge mechanism 33 as shown in FIG. 7 by the guidance of a groove (not shown) formed in the disk 32. The coin CN pushed out to each discharge mechanism 33 is further pushed out to each discharge conveying path 34 by each discharge mechanism 33 as shown in FIG. 8, and is discharged to the central conveying unit 22 through the discharge port 35 as shown in FIG. 9 by the force of each discharge mechanism 33 for discharging the coin CN and the guidance of each discharge conveying path 34. The coins CN discharged from each coin storage unit 30 to the central conveying unit 22 are finally transported to the coin dispensing tray 28 by the central conveying unit 22 and held there, as shown in FIG. 10, and are in a state of waiting for removal by a user.

[0058] [8. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, the coin processing device 4 has the coin storage units 30 arranged to face each other in the left-right direction across the central transport unit 22 that transports the coin CN toward the transport direction Dt, which is the front along the front-rear direction, and the release angles Ar of the coin storage units 30 facing each other in the left-right direction are different. Therefore, the coin processing device 4 can prevent the paths of the coins CN that move from the release openings 35 of the coin storage units 30 facing each other in the left-right direction to fall onto the transport belt of the central transport unit 22 from overlapping, making it difficult for the coins CN to collide with each other. As a result, when the coin processing device 4 simultaneously releases coins CN from the coin storage units 30 facing each other in the left-right direction, it can release the coins CN to the central transport unit 22 without causing them to collide with each other, and can perform stable coin transport.

[0059] Here, it is conceivable that, for example, the coins CN discharged from the coin storage units 30 opposed in the left-right direction are discharged at different times to prevent the coins CN discharged from the coin storage units 30 opposed in the left-right direction from colliding with each other. However, in that case, since one coin storage unit 30 is not dispensed from the other coin storage unit 30 while the other coin storage unit 30 is being dispensed, the number of coins CN that can be dispensed from both coin storage units 30 per unit time decreases and control becomes complicated. In contrast, the coin processing device 4 can simultaneously discharge coins CN from the coin storage units 30 opposed in the left-right direction, so that the dispensing operation can be completed efficiently in a short time and control can be simplified.

[0060] Furthermore, the coin processing device 4 is configured to release the coin CN from the coin storage unit 30 to the central conveying unit 22 in a direction inclined by a release angle Ar in the conveying direction Dt with respect to the conveying width direction Dw. Therefore, the coin processing device 4 can apply to the coin CN not only a release force conveying width direction component Fw in the conveying width direction Dw but also a release force conveying direction component Ft in the conveying direction Dt. Therefore, after the face of the coin CN has completely abutted against the conveying belt of the central conveying unit 22, the coin processing device 4 can apply to the coin CN a forward force in the conveying direction Dt equivalent to the release force conveying direction component Ft, until the face of the coin CN has completely abutted against the conveying belt and is in a stable state. Therefore, the coin processing device 4 can transport coins from the coin storage unit 30 to the coin withdrawal tray 28 more quickly than when coins CN are released from the coin storage unit 30 to the central transport unit 22 in a direction along the transport width direction Dw, thereby shortening the transport time from the coin storage unit 30 to the coin withdrawal tray 28 and completing the withdrawal process in a short time.

[0061] Furthermore, in the coin processing device 4, the positions of the discharge ports 35 of the coin storage units 30 opposing each other in the left-right direction in the transport direction Dt are made different from each other. Therefore, when coins CN are simultaneously discharged from the coin storage units 30 opposing each other in the left-right direction, the coin processing device 4 makes the positions of the coins CN discharged from each coin storage unit 30 different in the transport direction Dt, making it even more difficult for the coins CN to collide with each other.

[0062] Here, it is conceivable to prevent the coins CN discharged simultaneously from the coin storage units 30 opposed in the left-right direction from colliding with each other by widening the width of the conveying width direction Dw in the central conveying unit 22. However, in that case, if the width of the coin processing device 4 becomes wider and the coins CN are lined up on the central conveying unit 22 along the conveying width direction Dw, the coins CN will be pushed up and a conveying failure will occur. In response to this, the coin processing device 4 sets the width of the conveying width direction Dw in the central conveying unit 22 to less than twice the diameter of the largest coin. Therefore, the coin processing device 4 can simultaneously discharge the coins CN from the coin storage units 30 opposed in the left-right direction without widening the width of the conveying width direction Dw in the central conveying unit 22. This makes it possible for the coin processing device 4 to prevent the coin processing device 4 from becoming large in size, and to prevent the coins CN from being lined up on the central conveying unit 22 along the conveying width direction Dw and being pushed up, which will cause a conveying failure.

[0063] Furthermore, the coin processing device 4 sets the coin storage units 30A, 30B, and 30C to the same release angle Ara, and sets the coin storage units 30D, 30E, and 30F to the same release angle Arb. Therefore, the coin processing device 4 can increase the number of reusable parts, reduce costs, and facilitate quality checks, compared to a case in which the release angle Ara of at least one of the coin storage units 30A, 30B, and 30C is made different from the other coin storage units 30, or the release angle Arb of at least one of the coin storage units 30D, 30E, and 30F is made different from the other coin storage units 30.

[0064] According to the above configuration, the coin processing device 4 is provided with a plurality of coin storage units 30 each having a storage space 31 for storing coins CN and an outlet 35 for discharging the coins CN stored in the storage space 31, and a central conveying unit 22 for transporting the coins CN discharged from the outlet 35, and the coin storage units 30 are arranged on both sides of the central conveying unit 22, so that the discharge angle Ar of the coin CN from the outlet 35 to the central conveying unit 22 differs between the coin storage units 30 facing each other across the central conveying unit 22.

[0065] This allows the coin processing device 4 to prevent the paths of coins CN moving from coin storage units 30 opposing each other across the central transport unit 22 to the central transport unit 22 from overlapping, making it difficult for the coins CN to collide with each other.

[0066] 9. Other Embodiments In the above-described embodiment, the coin storage units 30A, 30B, and 30C have the same release angle Ara, and the coin storage units 30D, 30E, and 30F have the same release angle Arb. The present invention is not limited to this, and the release angle Ar of at least one of the coin storage units 30A, 30B, and 30C may be different from the other coin storage units 30, and the release angle Ar of at least one of the coin storage units 30D, 30E, and 30F may be different from the other coin storage units 30. In short, the release angles Ar of the multiple coin storage units 30 arranged on the same side in the left-right direction with respect to the central transport unit 22 do not all have to be the same angle. However, if the release angles Ar of multiple coin storage sections 30 arranged on the same left-right side of the central conveying section 22 are all set to the same angle, a common storage container conveying path guide 40 can be used between those coin storage sections 30, thereby reducing the number of types of components.

[0067] In the above embodiment, one of two types of release angles Ar, namely, release angle Ara and release angle Arb, is set for the multiple coin storage units 30. The present invention is not limited to this, and any of three or more types of release angles Ar may be set as long as the release angles Ar of the coin storage units 30 facing each other in the left-right direction across the central transport unit 22 are different.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the release angle Ara is set to 15[°] and the release angle Arb is set to 30[°] has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and the release angles Ara and Arb may be set to various other values ​​as long as the relationship of release angle Ara<release angle Arb is maintained. For example, the release angle Ara may be set to 0[°] (i.e., the traveling direction of the coin CN when passing through the release port 35 is perpendicular to the conveying direction Dt as in FIG. 12) and the release angle Arb may be set to 30[°]. Even in this case, when coins CN are simultaneously released from coin storage units 30 facing each other in the left-right direction, the positions of the coins CN released from each coin storage unit 30 in the conveying direction Dt can be made different, making it possible to make it difficult for the coins CN to collide with each other.

[0069] Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the positions of the discharge openings 35 of the coin storage units 30 facing each other in the left-right direction with the central transport unit 22 sandwiched therebetween are different from each other in the transport direction Dt. The present invention is not limited to this, and the positions of the discharge openings 135 of the coin storage units 130 facing each other in the left-right direction with the central transport unit 22 sandwiched therebetween may be the same as in the case of the discharge opening 135A of the coin storage unit 130A and the discharge opening 135F of the coin storage unit 130F of the facing storage unit set 129a shown in FIG. 11, in which the same reference numerals are used for the members corresponding to the facing storage unit set 29a in FIG. 3. Even in this case, the coin processing device 4 makes the discharge angles Ar of the coins CN moving so as to fall from the discharge openings 135A and 135F different from each other, so that the paths can be prevented from overlapping as much as possible, and the coins CN can be made less likely to collide with each other.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case has been described in which the discharge openings 35 of the multiple coin storage units 30 arranged on the left side of the central conveying unit 22 are provided at approximately the center of each coin storage unit 30 in the conveying direction Dt, and the discharge openings 35 of the multiple coin storage units 30 arranged on the right side of the central conveying unit 22 are provided near the leading end side of each coin storage unit 30 in the conveying direction Dt. The present invention is not limited to this, and the discharge openings 35 of the multiple coin storage units 30 arranged on the left side of the central conveying unit 22 may be provided at various positions in the conveying direction Dt of each coin storage unit 30, and the discharge openings 35 of the multiple coin storage units 30 arranged on the right side of the central conveying unit 22 may be provided at various positions in the conveying direction Dt of each coin storage unit 30.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the positions of the discharge openings 35A, 35B, and 35C of the coin storage units 30A, 30B, and 30C with respect to the storage space 31 in at least one of the coin storage units 30A, 30B, and 30C may be different from those of the other coin storage units 30, and the positions of the discharge openings 35 with respect to the storage space 31 in at least one of the coin storage units 30D, 30E, and 30F may be different from those of the other coin storage units 30. In short, the positions of the discharge openings 35 with respect to the storage space 31 in the multiple coin storage units 30 arranged on the same side in the left-right direction with respect to the central transport unit 22 do not all need to be the same. However, if the positions of the discharge outlets 35 relative to the storage space 31 in multiple coin storage sections 30 arranged on the same left-right side of the central conveying section 22 are all in the same position, a common storage container conveying path guide 40 can be used between those coin storage sections 30, thereby reducing the number of types of components.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the heights of the discharge openings 35 relative to the central conveying unit 22 may be set differently for coin storage units 30 that face each other in the left-right direction across the central conveying unit 22, for example by making the discharge opening 35A of the coin storage unit 30A higher than the discharge opening 35F of the coin storage unit 30F. In this case, when coins CN are simultaneously discharged toward the central conveying unit 22 from coin storage units 30 that face each other in the left-right direction across the central conveying unit 22, the possibility of the discharged coins CN colliding with each other can be further reduced.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the storage container transport path guide 40 is described as extending linearly from the discharge mechanism 33 to the discharge opening 35 in the direction along the discharge angle Ar. The present invention is not limited to this, and the storage container transport path guide 40 may extend, for example, in a curved manner. In short, it is sufficient that at least the vicinity of the discharge opening 35 in the storage container transport path guide 40 is aligned with the discharge angle Ar, and the angle of the traveling direction when the coin BL passes through the discharge opening 35 is aligned with the discharge angle Ar.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to a coin processing device 4 in which coin CN500, coin CN1, coin CN100, coin CN10, coin CN5, and coin CN50 are assigned to the coin storage units 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F, respectively. The present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to a coin processing device 4 in which various other methods of assigning coin denominations are used to each coin storage unit 30. Furthermore, six denominations are assigned to the six coin storage units 30, but any number of coin denominations up to five denominations may be assigned to the coin storage units 30. In other words, the same denomination may be assigned to multiple coin storage units 30.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to a coin processing device 4 provided with three opposing storage unit sets 29. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to a coin processing device 4 provided with at least one opposing storage unit set 29.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to the coin processing device 4, which is a cash register change dispenser that performs various transactions with users. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to various other devices that handle coins, such as a self-service settlement machine. In addition, the present invention may be applied to various other devices that discharge media to a media transport unit.

[0077] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and other embodiments. In other words, the scope of application of the present invention also extends to embodiments in which the above-mentioned embodiments and part or all of the above-mentioned other embodiments are arbitrarily combined. The scope of application of the present invention also extends to cases in which a part of the configuration described in any of the above-mentioned embodiments and other embodiments is extracted and replaced or diverted with a part of the configuration of any of the above-mentioned embodiments and other embodiments, or a part of the extracted configuration is added to any of the embodiments.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a case has been described in which the currency handling device 1 is configured as a currency handling device by the display operation unit 11 as an operation unit, the coin deposit unit 14 as an insertion port, the coin storage unit 30 as a coin storage unit, and the central transport unit 22 as a transport unit. The present invention is not limited to this, and the currency handling device may be configured by an operation unit, insertion port, coin storage unit, and transport unit having various other configurations. [Industrial Applicability]

[0079] The present invention can be used in, for example, a coin processing device that processes transactions related to coins with users. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1... currency handling device, 2... banknote processing device, 4... coin processing device, 6... housing, 8... control unit, 9... banknote deposit port, 10... banknote withdrawal port, 11... display operation unit, 12... receipt printer, 14... coin deposit unit, 14A... coin insertion port, 14B... coin feeding unit, 15... coin delivery unit, 16... coin validator, 17... sorting and transport unit, 18... reject hole, 19... receiving hole, 20... reject chute, 21... chute, 22... central transport unit, 24... collection box, 26... lift exit Gold transport section, 28...coin dispensing tray, 29...opposing storage section set, 30...coin storage section, 31...storage space, 32...disk, 33...ejection mechanism, 34...ejection transport path, 35...ejection outlet, 40...storage cabinet transport path guide, 40SA, 40SF...guide surfaces, Ara, Arb...ejection angle, Dt...transport direction, Dw...transport width direction, F...ejection force, Ft...ejection force transport direction component, Fw...ejection force transport width direction component, CN1, CN5, CN10, CN50, CN100, CN500...coins.

Claims

1. a plurality of coin storage units each having a storage space for storing coins and a coin outlet for discharging the coins stored in the storage space; a conveying unit that conveys the coins discharged from the discharge port; Equipped with The coin storage unit includes: are disposed on both sides of the conveying section, The coin discharging angle from the discharging port to the transporting unit is different between the coin storing units facing each other across the transporting unit, The release angle is an angle inclined toward the coin conveying direction with respect to a direction perpendicular to the coin conveying direction in the conveying section. A coin processing device.

2. The coin storage unit includes: The position of the discharge port is different between the coin storage units arranged opposite to each other across the transport unit with respect to the transport direction of the coins in the transport unit.

2. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The coin storage unit includes: The height of the discharge port with respect to the transport unit is different between the coin storage units arranged opposite to each other with the transport unit in between.

2. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The coin storage unit includes: a coin ejection mechanism that ejects coins from the storage space toward the ejection port; a discharge conveying path that is formed along the discharge angle between the discharge mechanism and the discharge port and conveys the coins dispensed from the discharge mechanism to the conveying section along the discharge angle; Further equipped 2. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The coin storage unit includes: A conveying path guide that forms the discharge conveying path between the discharge mechanism and the discharge port. Further equipped with The transport path guide is At least a portion of the discharge mechanism extends in a direction along the discharge angle from the discharge mechanism side to the discharge port side.

5. The coin processing device according to claim 4.

6. The conveying unit is The width of the coin in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction is less than twice the diameter of the largest coin among the coins handled in the coin processing device.

2. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The coin storage unit includes: The coins are arranged on both sides of the conveying section along the conveying direction of the coins in the conveying section.

2. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

8. The release angles of the coin storage units arranged on one side of the transport unit are common to each other, and the release angles of the coin storage units arranged on the other side of the transport unit are common to each other. The coin processing device according to claim 7 .

9. The positions of the discharge ports of the coin storage units arranged on one side of the transport unit are common to each other, and the positions of the discharge ports of the coin storage units arranged on the other side of the transport unit are common to each other. The coin processing device according to claim 7 .

10. an operation unit that receives operations related to coin processing; An insertion port into which the coins are inserted; a plurality of coin storage units each having a storage space for storing the coins and a discharge port for discharging the coins stored in the storage space; a conveying unit that conveys the coins discharged from the discharge port; Equipped with The coin storage unit includes: are disposed on both sides of the conveying section, The coin discharging angle from the discharging port to the transporting unit is different between the coin storing units facing each other across the transporting unit, The release angle is an angle inclined toward the coin conveying direction with respect to a direction perpendicular to the coin conveying direction in the conveying section. A currency handling device characterized by:

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