Paper sheet transport device

Abstract

To provide a paper sheet conveyance device that can efficiently reinforce the air flow in a tube by merging the air flow from an auxiliary blower into a conveyance tube in the middle of a conveyance path.SOLUTION: In a paper sheet conveyance device that conveys a paper sheet by the action of air flow, a confluent part 14 which merges the air flow from an auxiliary blower into a conveyance tube is provided in a passage part 171 in the middle of the conveyance tube. The confluent part 14 includes: an introduction port 172 of air flow from the auxiliary blower; and a shutter 173 that closes the introduction port 172 in the normal time and opens when receiving air flow from the auxiliary blower. In addition, the device has a passage sensor and activates the auxiliary blower after the paper sheet being the conveyance object passes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 57

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper sheet transport device that transports paper sheets by using the action of air flow. [Background technology]

[0002] Inside an amusement machine island, which houses multiple sets of game ball dispensing machines that receive inserted banknotes and lend game balls (such as pachinko balls) to players and game machines such as pachinko machines, a banknote transport device is provided along the length of the amusement machine island to transport the banknotes inserted into each game ball dispensing machine to a safe provided at the end of the amusement machine island.

[0003] Some paper sheet transport devices for transporting paper sheets such as banknotes use an air flow generated in a transport tube. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a paper sheet transport device that transports paper sheets by pushing them from behind using a transport auxiliary body that moves in response to the air flow in the transport tube.

[0004] In the paper sheet transport device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a paper sheet intake device is provided in the middle of the transport path to take in the paper sheets to be transported into the transport tube. When collecting the taken-in paper sheets, a transport auxiliary body is sent into the transport tube by a transport auxiliary body insertion device provided at the starting end of the transport tube, and the paper sheets and the transport auxiliary body are separated and collected by a separation and collection device provided at the end of the transport tube. In addition, in this paper sheet transport device, the transport tube is configured to go around a desired collection route (for example, in the case of a gaming machine island, it is configured with an outward path from one end of the island to the other end, a U-shaped turnback part, and a return path from the other end of the island back to the one end), the starting end and the end of the transport tube are brought close to each other, and the transport auxiliary body collected by the separation and collection device provided at the end is moved to the transport auxiliary body insertion device at the starting end for repeated cyclical use. The collected paper sheets are stored in a safe or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-82062 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When a paper sheet intake device is provided in the middle of the conveying path to take in the paper sheets to be conveyed into the conveying tube, air flow in the conveying tube is likely to leak from the paper sheet intake port of the intake device. Even if a shutter that is normally closed and opens only when taking in paper sheets is provided at the intake port, it is difficult to sufficiently prevent air flow leakage. Therefore, there is a risk that the air flow generated by the air flow generating device provided at the beginning of the conveying path may not be strong enough to flow to the end of the conveying path to ensure sufficient conveying capacity. This is particularly likely when the conveying path is long or when many intake devices are inserted in the middle of the conveying path.

[0007] The present invention seeks to solve the above problems and aims to provide a paper sheet transport device that can efficiently reinforce the air flow within the pipe by merging the air flow from an auxiliary blower into the transport pipe midway along the transport path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The gist of the present invention for achieving the above object resides in the following inventions.

[0009] [1] A paper sheet transport device that transports paper sheets by the action of air flow, a junction portion is provided in the conveying pipe to allow the airflow from the auxiliary blower to join into the conveying pipe; The confluence portion has an inlet for the air flow from the auxiliary blower, and the inlet is normally closed and opens when the air flow from the auxiliary blower is received. Plate-shaped A shutter. The shutter is supported on a rotary shaft at the upstream side in the transport direction, and rotates around the rotary shaft so that the tip side advances into the transport pipe to open, and the inclination angle is regulated to the limit of opening so that the tip side is downstream in the transport direction from the rotary shaft, and the transport pipe is not blocked when opened to the limit. A paper sheet transport device characterized by the above. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is a plan view showing an outline of a gaming machine island including a paper sheet transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a front view showing the schematic configuration of a paper sheet transport device provided on the gaming machine island. FIG. [Diagram 3] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a transport auxiliary body pushes a banknote in a transport tube from the rear end side of the banknote. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the conveying pipe in the straight portion (the outward and return portions). [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conveying pipe in a straight portion. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are plan and front views of a transport aid; [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view passing through the central axis of a conveying auxiliary body when the conveying auxiliary body is inserted into a conveying tube. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a front view showing the separation, recovery, and sending device with the door of the storage box open. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view showing the separation, recovery, and sending device with the door of the storage box open. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main unit of the separation, recovery and delivery device with the storage box removed. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the main unit of the separation, recovery, and delivery device. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a front view of a main unit of the separation, recovery, and delivery device. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a left side view of a main unit of the separation, recovery, and delivery device. [Figure 16] 15 is a cross-sectional view showing, in a partially simplified manner, the cross section AA in FIG. 14 of the main unit of the separating, recovering, and sending-out device. [Figure 17] 1 is a perspective view showing a main unit of the separating, collecting, and sending out device with a door of a storage section open. FIG. [Figure 18] 11 is a perspective view showing the separation section and the delivery section when the opening / closing rib is closed. FIG. [Figure 19] 11 is a perspective view showing the separation section and the delivery section with the opening / closing rib open; FIG. [Figure 20] 13 is a front view showing the separation section and the delivery section with the opening / closing rib in a closed state. FIG. [Figure 21] 13 is a front view showing the separation section and the delivery section in a state where the opening / closing rib is in a closed state and the transport auxiliary body is captured. FIG. [Figure 22] 21 is a cross-sectional view of the separation section and the delivery section (cross-section BB in FIG. 20). [Figure 23] FIG. [Figure 24] 13 is a perspective view showing an entrance of a recovery passage as viewed from a separation section. FIG. [Diagram 25] 1 is a diagram showing a horizontal cross section of a separation section (with opening / closing ribs in an open state) and a recovery passage with some parts omitted. FIG. [Figure 26] 1 is a diagram showing a horizontal cross section of a separation section (with opening / closing ribs closed) and a recovery passage with some parts omitted. FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a horizontal cross section of a separation section (opening / closing rib closed state, conveying auxiliary body supplement) and a recovery passage with some parts omitted. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing one wall surface of the delivery section with the check valve in the hanging position. [Figure 29] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing one wall surface of the delivery section with the check valve in a closed position. [Diagram 30] 21 is a cross-sectional view (cross-section BB in FIG. 20) of the separating section and the sending section, showing a state in which the transport auxiliary body is falling through the falling passage. FIG. [Diagram 31] 13 is a diagram (viewed from above) showing the positional relationship between a transport auxiliary body falling through a falling passage and a guide roller. FIG. [Diagram 32] 21 is a cross-sectional view (cross-section BB in FIG. 20) of the separating section and the sending-out section, showing a state in which a transport auxiliary body is at a standby position in the sending-out section. FIG. [Diagram 33] 21 is a cross-sectional view (cross-section BB in FIG. 20) of the separating section and the delivery section, showing a state in which the transport auxiliary body is delivered from the standby position toward the transport pipe (delivery start). FIG. [Diagram 34]21 is a cross-sectional view (cross-section BB in FIG. 20) of the separating section and the sending-out section, showing a state in which the transport auxiliary body is being sent out from the standby position toward the transport pipe (during sending out). FIG. [Diagram 35] 21 is a cross-sectional view (cross-section BB in FIG. 20) of the separation section and the delivery section, showing how the transport auxiliary body is delivered from the standby position toward the transport pipe (delivery completed). FIG. [Diagram 36] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a safe unit. [Figure 37] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a storage assembly. [Figure 38] FIG. [Figure 39] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of a pressure assembly. [Diagram 40] FIG. [Diagram 41] FIG.

[0011] See Figure 41). [Diagram 42] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a banknote is pinched between the end of the collection passage and the end plate of the connection duct when measures such as providing the abutting member with unevenness are not taken. FIG. [Diagram 43] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a bill is pushed from the collection passage into a storage unit (a state in which a bill to be pushed is present in the collection passage). FIG. [Diagram 44] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which banknotes are pushed from a collection passage into a storage unit. FIG. [Diagram 45] FIG. 45 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which banknotes are pushed from the collection passage into the storage unit (continuation of FIG. 44). [Diagram 46] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the state in which the door of the storage box of the separation, recovery, and sending-out device is opened to the right and to the left. [Figure 47] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which two storage boxes of the separation, recovery, and delivery devices are arranged adjacent to each other. [Figure 48] 4A to 4C are explanatory diagrams showing various positional relationships between the storage box and the main unit. [Figure 49]FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing how the connection duct can be reconfigured between a right-hand specification and a left-hand specification. [Figure 50] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the process of converting a safe unit from a right-hand specification to a left-hand specification. [Figure 51] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of changing the pressing assembly from a right-hand type to a left-hand type. FIG. [Figure 52] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of changing the guide member of the storage section from a right-hand specification to a left-hand specification. FIG. [Figure 53] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of changing the pressure plate of the storage section from a right-hand specification to a left-hand specification. FIG. [Figure 54] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the reconfiguration of the full-state detection assembly from right-side specification to left-side specification. [Figure 55] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an airflow enhancement unit. [Figure 56] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the airflow enhancement unit. [Figure 57] FIG. 57 is a cross-sectional view (cross-section AA in FIG. 56) showing the airflow enhancing unit. [Figure 58] 57A and 57B are cross-sectional views (cross-section BB in FIG. 56) showing the airflow enhancing unit when the shutter plate is closed and when it is open. [Figure 59] FIG. 2 is a front view and a DD cross section of the movable wall. [Figure 60] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating various aspects of the slope portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a gaming machine island 2 including a paper sheet transport device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the paper sheet transport device 10 provided on the gaming machine island 2. In this embodiment, the gaming machine island 2 accommodates a plurality of sets of gaming media dispensers 3, which receive inserted banknotes and dispense gaming media such as gaming balls (pachinko balls) to players, and gaming machines 4, such as pachinko machines, back-to-back on the front and back sides. The paper sheet transport device 10 is provided on the gaming machine island 2, and serves the function of taking in banknotes 6 discharged from the back of each gaming media dispenser 3, transporting them to a safe (storage unit) in a separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 provided at one end of the gaming machine island 2, and storing them therein.

[0014] The paper sheet transport device 10 generates an air flow in the transport tube 12 which serves as a transport path for banknotes (paper sheets), and inserts a transport auxiliary body 16 which receives the air flow and moves in the transport tube 12 upstream of the banknotes 6 to be transported into the transport tube 12, and transports the banknotes 6 downstream by pushing them from behind in the transport auxiliary body 16. In this embodiment, the banknotes 6 are transported in the transport tube 12 in a landscape orientation with the paper face upright as shown in FIG.

[0015] The paper sheet transport device 10 has a transport pipe 12 and a separating, collecting, and sending device 40 provided at one end of the gaming machine island 2. The transport pipe 12 is composed of an outgoing path 12a extending from the separating, collecting, and sending device 40 provided at one end of the gaming machine island 2 to the other end of the gaming machine island 2, a turning portion 12b that turns back in a U-shape at the other end, and a returning path 12c that turns back at the turning portion 12b, and then extends above the outgoing path 12a along the outgoing path 12a to the separating, collecting, and sending device 40.

[0016] The outgoing path 12a and the return path 12c of the conveying pipe 12 are divided into units of a predetermined length, for example, a length corresponding to the width of one set of the gaming machines 4 and the gaming media lending machine 3 housed together in the gaming machine island 2, and by connecting the required number of these with a connecting unit, the path length can be adjusted according to the longitudinal length of the gaming machine island 2. Also, at the construction site, the conveying pipe 12 is cut to the required length on the spot for use.

[0017] The paper sheet conveying device 10 further has an intake device 13 that is inserted in the middle of the return path 12c of the conveying tube 12 and takes in the banknotes 6 discharged from the game media lending machine 3 into the conveying tube 12. The intake devices 13 are provided in pairs, one for taking in the banknotes 6 from the game media lending machine 3 arranged on the front side of the game machine island 2 and the other for taking in the banknotes 6 from the game media lending machine 3 arranged on the back side of the game machine island 2. The intake device 13 is interposed between the conveying tubes 12 and 12 that make up the return path 12c to connect them, and also functions as a conveying tube that forms part of the return path 12c.

[0018] An air flow enhancing unit 14 that enhances the air flow in the transport pipe by merging the air flow from the auxiliary blower is inserted at an appropriate position in the transport pipe 12. In this embodiment, the air flow enhancing unit 14 is provided in the return path 12c and downstream of the intake device 13. The air flow enhancing unit 14 may be provided in the outgoing path 12a.

[0019] The separating, recovering and sending out device 40 performs functions such as sending an air flow into the conveying tube 12, sending the conveying auxiliary body 16 from the starting end of the conveying tube 12 into the conveying tube 12, separating the banknotes 6 conveyed by the conveying auxiliary body 16 from the conveying auxiliary body 16 at the end of the conveying tube 12, moving the separated conveying auxiliary body 16 to the starting end side of the conveying tube 12 for reuse in the next sending out, and storing the separated banknotes 6 in a safe (storage section). Details of the separating, recovering and sending out device 40 will be described later.

[0020] In the paper sheet transport device 10, the banknotes 6 taken into the return path 12c of the transport tube 12 from the take-in device 13 stay at the take-in completion position in a landscape orientation with the paper face upright as shown in Fig. 3. The separating, recovering and sending out device 40 generates an air flow in the transport tube 12 to transport the banknotes 6 to the separating, recovering and sending out device 40 at the island end and collect them.

[0021] The action of this air flow causes the separation, recovery and delivery device 40 to send out the transport auxiliary body 16 into the transport tube 12, where the transport auxiliary body 16 moves in the outbound path 12a to the turn section 12b, makes a U-turn at the turn section 12b, and then moves further in the inbound path 12c toward the terminal end. At this time, as shown in Fig. 3, the transport auxiliary body 16 pushes the banknotes 6 in the transport tube 12 from the rear end side of the banknotes 6, so that the banknotes 6 are transported toward the terminal end of the transport tube 12 (in the transport direction F in the figure).

[0022] In this way, the transport auxiliary body 16 moves under the action of the air flow, and the banknotes 6 are pushed and transported from their rear ends by the transport auxiliary body 16, so the banknotes 6 themselves do not need to receive the air flow to obtain propulsive force. Therefore, the banknotes 6 can be transported by the air flow without taking measures such as folding the banknotes 6 to receive the air flow. In addition, the transport auxiliary body 16 can obtain propulsive force from the air flow more efficiently than the banknotes 6, so the banknotes 6 can be transported efficiently.

[0023] Next, the shapes of the conveying tube 12 and the conveying auxiliary body 16 will be described in detail.

[0024] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the conveying tube 12 in the straight portion (the outward path 12a and the return path 12c portion), and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the extension direction F (= the banknote conveying direction F = the air flow direction) of the conveying tube 12 in the same portion. The conveying tube 12 is made of a resin with a thickness of about 1.5 mm. The conveying tube 12 is formed, for example, by extrusion molding.

[0025] The cross-sectional shape of the cross section perpendicular to the extension direction F of the straight part of the conveying tube 12 is a rectangular shape in which the central parts of the left and right side walls of a vertically long rectangle expand outward. In detail, the conveying tube 12 has upper and lower wall parts 31, left and right side wall parts 32, and an expansion part 33 that protrudes outward in a rectangular shape at the central parts of the left and right side wall parts 32 in the vertical direction. The short side direction of the approximately rectangular cross section perpendicular to the extension direction (conveying direction F) of the conveying tube 12 is the X direction (or width direction, left and right direction), and the long side direction is the Y direction (or height direction, up and down direction). In the X direction and the Y direction, the direction toward the center of the conveying tube 12 is called the inside, and the direction from the center toward the inner wall is called the outside. In this embodiment, the conveying tube 12 is used with the long side in the cross section in the vertical direction, but it may be used with the short side in the vertical direction. In this case, the banknotes 6 are conveyed in a horizontally long position with the paper surface facing up and down.

[0026] The expansion section 33 is divided into two sections, upper and lower, by a separation wall 34 erected toward the inside of the conveying pipe 12. The entire conveying pipe 12, including the separation wall 34, has an integrated structure. The expansion section 33 is provided with a position control rib 36 that protrudes toward the inside of the conveying pipe 12 in the center of each area divided into two by the separation wall 34. The position control rib 36 functions to control the position of the conveying auxiliary body 16 in the X direction within the conveying pipe 12.

[0027] A plurality of ribs 35 protruding toward the inside of the conveying pipe 12 are formed on the side wall portion 32 and extend along the conveying direction. In this example, the ribs 35 protruding toward the inside of the conveying pipe 12 are formed along the conveying direction at the boundary between the side wall portion 32 and the expansion portion 33. The separation wall 34 is at the same height as the ribs 35, and the top of the separation wall 34 functions as a rib. Hereinafter, when the separation wall 34 is treated as a rib, it will also be referred to as the rib 34.

[0028] The side walls 32 are a pair of inner walls that face the paper surface of the transported banknote 6. The banknote 6 has a rectangular shape, and is transported inside the transport tube 12 with its long side oriented in the transport direction F. In other words, the banknote 6 is transported with its paper surface facing the side walls 32 of the transport tube 12, one short side of the banknote 6 being the leading end side in the transport direction, and the other short side being the trailing end side.

[0029] The distance Dy between the upper and lower wall portions 31 of the transport tube 12 is slightly longer than the short side of the banknote 6. The distance Dx between the left and right side wall portions 32 (portions (reference plane portions) where the ribs 35, the extension portions 33, and the separation wall 34 are not formed) is set to about 21 mm. The extension portions 33 provided on the left and right side wall portions 32 each extend about 7.5 mm outward from the side wall portion 32 (reference plane portion). The tops of the ribs 35 and the separation wall 34 are about 2 mm high inward from the side wall portion 32 (reference plane portion). The height of the ribs 35 may be set as appropriate.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows the plan view and front view of the transport auxiliary 16. The transport auxiliary 16 is a columnar shape with a circular cross section with different diameters at each part. The transport auxiliary 16 moves inside the transport pipe with its axis oriented perpendicular to the transport direction. Here, the transport auxiliary 16 is inserted into the transport pipe 12 so that the central axis of the cylinder is in the Y direction (height direction) of the transport pipe 12. The transport auxiliary 16 is vertically symmetrical, and is composed of, from the top, a head 16a, a neck 16b with a slightly smaller diameter than the head, a large diameter part 16c with a larger diameter than the head 16a, a constricted part 16d with the same diameter as the neck 16b and located in the center from top to bottom, the large diameter part 16c, the neck 16b, and the head 16a.

[0031] The shapes of the conveying pipe 12 and the conveying auxiliary body 16 are not limited to these. The outer shape of the conveying auxiliary body 16 corresponds to the inner shape of the conveying pipe 12, and has irregularities corresponding to the ribs 34, 35 protruding inward from the side wall portion 32.

[0032] The transport auxiliary body 16 is lightweight and strong, and is formed with a hollow interior from, for example, plastic, etc. However, it may be formed from polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, etc., so long as it is lightweight and strong.

[0033] 7 shows a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction F and passing through the central axis of the conveying auxiliary body 16 in a state where the conveying auxiliary body 16 is inserted into the conveying pipe 12. The diameters of the various parts of the conveying auxiliary body 16 correspond to the inner edge shape of the conveying pipe 12. That is, the cross-sectional shape passing through the central axis of the conveying auxiliary body 16 corresponds to the inner edge shape of the conveying pipe 12 in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction F, and is shaped to almost completely block the inside of the conveying pipe 12 with a predetermined clearance between it and the inner wall.

[0034] The position of the conveying auxiliary body 16 in the Y direction within the conveying pipe 12 is regulated by the upper or lower surface of the large diameter portion 16c abutting against the rib 35 or the separation wall 34. These also regulate the inclination of the axis of the conveying auxiliary body 16. The position of the conveying auxiliary body 16 in the X direction within the conveying pipe 12 is regulated by the outer periphery of the head portion 16a contacting the side wall portion 32 or the outer periphery of the large diameter portion 16c contacting the inside of the expansion portion 33.

[0035] In this way, the conveying auxiliary body 16 has a shape corresponding to the inner edge shape of the conveying pipe 12 (almost the same shape with a small clearance) and blocks almost the entire cross section of the conveying pipe 12, so it can move efficiently under the action of the air flow. Furthermore, the conveying auxiliary body 16 prevents the air flow from the upstream from reaching the downstream side of the conveying auxiliary body 16, and plays a role in suppressing turbulence of the air flow on the downstream side.

[0036] When acted upon by the air flow in the conveying tube 12, the banknote 6 tends to stick to the side wall 32. In other words, the distance between one side of the banknote 6 and the opposing side wall 32 and the distance between the other side of the banknote 6 and the opposing side wall 32 are rarely equal, and when either distance is narrower than the other, the air flow speed is faster on the narrower side than on the wider side, so that the air pressure on the narrower side is lower than that on the wider side, and this air pressure difference causes the banknote 6 to be attracted and pressed against the side wall 32 on the narrower side. When this happens, the narrower side becomes even narrower, causing the banknote 6 to stick and be attracted to the side wall 32.

[0037] If the banknotes 6 stick strongly to the side wall portions 32, it becomes difficult for the transport auxiliary body 16 to push and transport the banknotes 6; however, as described above, the transport auxiliary body 16 acts to block (reduce) the air flow downstream, so the force with which the banknotes 6 stick and adhere is reduced, and smooth transport is achieved.

[0038] The two large diameter parts 16c of the conveying auxiliary body 16 engage with two expansion parts 33 separated by a separation wall 34 of the conveying tube 12. In this example, the expansion part 33 is separated into two by the separation wall 34, and these expansion parts 33 are provided toward the center of the conveying tube 12 in the Y direction, so that the conveying auxiliary body 16 can be moved while being maintained in a stable posture. In addition, since the posture of the conveying auxiliary body 16 is stable, the large diameter part 16c of the conveying auxiliary body 16 can be appropriately abutted against the rear end of the banknote 6 to provide a stable conveying force. In addition, the banknote 6 is less likely to be caught between the conveying tube 12 and the conveying auxiliary body 16.

[0039] Furthermore, by providing the large diameter portion 16c, the area of ​​the portion of the conveying auxiliary body 16 that is subjected to the action of the air flow is enlarged, and the force for moving can be efficiently received. Also, since the large diameter portion 16c is provided to efficiently receive the action of the air flow, the diameter of the head portion 16a can be reduced accordingly. By reducing the diameter of the head portion, the interval (width (Dx)) between the pair of opposing side wall portions 32 in the conveying tube 12 can be narrowed, and the banknotes 6 can be prevented from falling over.

[0040] Furthermore, the presence of the multiple ribs 35 provided on the side wall 32 prevents the bill 6 from sticking tightly to the side wall 32. That is, the contact area between the bill 6 and the side wall 32 is reduced, reducing friction and suppressing the generation of static electricity. Even if the bill 6 sticks to the side wall 32, the bill 6 is supported by the tip of the rib 35, so that a gap is secured between the side wall 32 and the bill 6 around the rib 35, and the sticking force is suppressed to be small. The bill 6 is supported by the separation wall 34, so that the bill 6 is prevented from falling into the recess of the expansion part 33.

[0041] Furthermore, the multiple ribs 35 protruding inward from the side wall 32 and the tops of the separation walls 34 serve to make the effective passage width W of the banknotes 6 in the width direction (X direction) of the transport tube 12 narrower than the distance Dx between the reference flat portions. This makes it difficult for the banknotes 6 to fall sideways in the transport tube 12, and the posture of the banknotes 6 is maintained along the Y direction. In particular, by providing multiple ribs 35, the banknotes 6 are appropriately prevented from falling and are effectively prevented from sticking to the side wall 32. Note that Dx can be increased by the amount of the ribs 35 provided, which increases the cross-sectional area of ​​the transport tube 12 and makes the transport auxiliary body 16 more susceptible to the action of airflow.

[0042] In the case of the transport auxiliary body 16 according to this embodiment, the diameter of the large diameter portion 16c is the largest, so that this large diameter portion 16c comes into contact with the rear end of the banknote 6 and pushes it, as shown in FIG.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the turn portion 12b, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the turn portion 12b. The turn portion 12b has a shape in which the conveying pipe 12 is extended to draw a 90-degree arc with the Y direction as the radial direction, a straight portion 12bc, and a 90-degree arc portion 12bb are connected, and the course of the conveying auxiliary body 16 is changed by 180 degrees. The turn portion 12b also has a rib 35 and an expansion portion 33, but the separation wall 34 is not provided so that the conveying auxiliary body 16 does not get caught when moving in an arc along the arc portion 12bb, and the rib 35 and the expansion portion 33 are allowed to escape (the clearance is larger than that of the straight portion) in the portion overlapping with the trajectory of the conveying auxiliary body 16 when passing through the turn portion 12b. This makes it possible to reduce the turning radius of the turn portion 12b at the arc portion 12bb. The length of the straight section 12bc may be appropriately determined according to the distance required between the outgoing path 12a and the return path 12c depending on the sizes of the separating, recovering and sending device 40 and the intake device 13. Two ribs 12ba are provided in the expansion section 33 of the turning section 12b in correspondence with the large diameter section 16c of the transport auxiliary body 16, and the position of the transport auxiliary body 16 is restricted toward the center in the X direction.

[0044] Next, the separation, recovery and delivery device 40 will be described.

[0045] Fig. 10 is a front view showing the separating, recovering, and sending out device 40 with the door 46 of the storage box 41 open, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the separating, recovering, and sending out device 40 with the door 46 of the storage box 41 open. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the main unit 42 of the separating, recovering, and sending out device 40 with the storage box 41 removed, Fig. 13 is a right side view of the main unit 42 of the separating, recovering, and sending out device 40, Fig. 14 is a front view of the main unit 42 of the separating, recovering, and sending out device 40, Fig. 15 is a left side view of the main unit 42 of the separating, recovering, and sending out device 40, and Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the AA cross section of the main unit 42 in Fig. 14 in a partially simplified manner.

[0046] 10 and 11, a main unit 42 of the separating, collecting, and sending device 40 is stored in a storage box 41. A control unit 43 that controls the operation of the entire paper sheet transport device 10, including the separating, collecting, and sending device 40, is attached to the upper inside portion of the storage box 41. The control unit 43 is mainly composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 12, the main unit 42 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 is fixed to the end plate 18 of the gaming machine island 2 with screws separately from the storage box 41. The storage box 41 has an open back and is attached to the end plate 18 with screws separately from the main unit 42 so as to cover the main unit 42. This makes it possible to arbitrarily adjust the relative positions of the main unit 42 and the storage box 41 depending on the installation location. This point will be described in detail later.

[0048] As shown in Figs. 13 to 16, the main unit 42 of the separating, recovering and sending out device 40 includes a sending section 70 provided at the start of the outgoing path 12a of the conveying tube 12 and sending out the conveying auxiliary body 16 into the conveying tube 12, a separating section 50 provided at the end of the return path 12c of the conveying tube 12 and allowing the banknotes 6 conveyed by the conveying auxiliary body 16 to pass through and receiving the conveying auxiliary body 16 that has pushed the banknotes and separating them, a storage section 90 which serves as a safe for storing a large number of banknotes, and a separating section 50 which is provided at the end of the return path 12c of the conveying tube 12 and allowing the banknotes 6 conveyed by the conveying auxiliary body 16 to pass and receiving the conveying auxiliary body 16 that has pushed the banknotes and separating them, and a storage section 90 which serves as a safe for storing a large number of banknotes. The system is configured to include a recovery unit 110 that receives and stops the banknotes 6 that have passed through the separation unit 50 downstream of the separation unit 50 in a recovery passage 111 and moves the stopped banknotes 6 into the storage unit 90 for storage, an air flow generating device 130 that sends an air flow to the delivery unit 70, and a connection duct 140 that sucks in the air flow discharged from the end of the conveying tube 12 through the separation unit 50 and the recovery passage 111 of the recovery unit 110 and returns it to the air intake port of the air flow generating device 130 for circulating it. The air flow generated by the air flow generating device 130 is sent into the beginning end of the conveying tube 12 through the delivery unit 70.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 15, 18, and the like, the main unit 42 is integrated by mounting each section, such as the sending section 70 and the separating section 50, on a support frame 45.

[0050] FIG. 17 shows the main unit 42 of the separating, collecting, and sending out device 40 with a door 91 of a storage section 90 for storing banknotes 6 open.

[0051] In the separation, recovery and sending out device 40, the separation section 50 is positioned directly above the sending out section 70, and the transport auxiliary body 16 captured by the separation section 50 is dropped into the sending out section 70 through a drop passage 71 (see cross-sectional view in Figure 16), and the dropped transport auxiliary body 16 is used for the next sending out, thereby allowing the transport auxiliary body 16 to be circulated.

[0052] The starting end of the outward path 12a of the conveying pipe 12 is connected to the conveying pipe connection port 72 of the delivery section 70, and the ending end of the return path 12c of the conveying pipe 12 is connected to the conveying pipe connection port 51 of the separation section 50 (see FIG. 16).

[0053] Next, the configuration of the separator 50 will be described.

[0054] Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70 below it in a state where the opening and closing rib 52 described later is closed, and Fig. 19 is a perspective view showing the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70 below it in a state where the opening and closing rib 52 is open. Fig. 20 is a front view showing the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70 below it in a state where the opening and closing rib 52 is closed, and Fig. 21 is a front view showing the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70 below it in a state where the opening and closing rib 52 is closed and the transport auxiliary body 16 is captured. Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view (BB cross-section of Fig. 20) of the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70. Fig. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the separation section 50.

[0055] As shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 23, the separation portion 50 includes a pair of left and right passage walls 56, a pair of left and right opening / closing ribs 52, and a pair of left and right contact portions 64.

[0056] The pair of left and right passage walls 56 are symmetrical in shape and include a vertically oriented flat side wall 57, a ceiling wall 58 extending horizontally from the upper end of the side wall 57, and a bottom wall 59 extending horizontally from the lower end of the side wall 57 in the same direction as the ceiling wall 58. By combining the left and right walls so that the ceiling wall 58 and the bottom wall 59 are butted against each other, a passage (separation passage 56a) having a vertically elongated rectangular outer shape corresponding to the conveying pipe 12 is formed. Five ribs 61 (61a to 61e) are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction on the side wall 57 in about half the area (upstream area) on the upstream side of the separation passage 56a, which protrude horizontally toward the inside of the passage and extend in the length direction of the passage.

[0057] The uppermost and lowermost ribs 61a, 61e function to correspond to the side wall portion 32 (see FIG. 7) of the conveying pipe 12, and the horizontal protruding height is set to a height that generates a gap corresponding to Dx in FIG. 7 between the opposing ribs when the left and right passage walls 56 are combined to form the separation passage 56a. The three ribs 61b to 61d, excluding the upper and lower ones, correspond to the ribs 34 (rib 35 and separation wall 34, see FIG. 7) of the conveying pipe 12. These are provided at vertical positions corresponding to the neck portion 16b and the constricted portion 16d of the conveying auxiliary body 16. The horizontal protruding height is set to a height that generates a gap corresponding to the passage width W in FIG. 7 between the opposing ribs when the left and right passage walls 56 are combined to form the separation passage 56a.

[0058] In the downstream region (downstream region) of the pair of left and right passage walls 56, the ribs 61 present in the upstream region are not present, and instead, slits 62 (62a-62e) long in the passage length direction are provided at the same vertical positions as the ribs 61a-61e. Also, in the downstream region, there is no bottom wall 59 present in the upstream region, and the bottom is open when the pair of left and right passage walls 56 are combined to form the separation passage 56a.

[0059] The opening / closing rib 52 includes a flat side wall 53 in a vertical position, five ribs 54 (54a to 54e) that are erected so as to protrude horizontally from the side wall 53 toward the inside of the passage, and a bottom plate 55. The arrangement of the five ribs 54 (54a to 54e) corresponds to the slits 62 (62a to 62e). Each rib 54 of the opening / closing rib 52 is inserted into each slit 62 of the passage wall 56 from the outside of the passage wall 56. The bottom plate 55 is at a height that is flatly connected to the bottom wall 59 of the passage wall 56 when each rib 54 of the opening / closing rib 52 is inserted into each slit 62 of the passage wall 56, and when each rib 54 is inserted all the way into the slit 62 (the position where the side wall 53 abuts against the outer surface of the side wall 57), the left and right bottom plates 55 abut and are connected.

[0060] The state where the ribs 54 (54a to 54e) of the opening / closing rib 52 are inserted all the way into the slits 62 (62a to 62e) of the passage wall 56 in the closed position is called the closed state of the opening / closing rib 52 (see Figs. 18, 20, and 21), and the state where the pair of left and right opening / closing ribs 52 are retracted outward (widened apart) until the ribs 54 (54a to 54e) of the opening / closing rib 52 are pulled out of the slits 62 (62a to 62e) (until the bottom plate 55 is not in the separation passage 56a) is called the open state of the opening / closing rib 52 (see Fig. 19). The separation section 50 includes an opening / closing drive unit 68 that displaces the left and right opening / closing ribs 52 between an open state and a closed state (see Figs. 18, 20, etc.). The separation section 50 has an opening / closing drive unit 68 that displaces the opening / closing ribs 52 between an open state and a closed state. The opening / closing drive unit 68 is configured with a motor or a solenoid as a drive source.

[0061] The pair of left and right abutment parts 64 allow the banknotes 6 arriving from the end of the transport tube 12 by the air flow to pass, and the transport auxiliary body 16 that has been pushing the banknotes 6 to come into contact with them from the downstream side to receive and stop them. The abutment parts 64 include a plurality of abutment claws 66 (66a to 66f) that come into contact with the large diameter part 16c of the transport auxiliary body 16, and a support plate 65 that supports the abutment claws 66 by aligning them vertically at a predetermined interval. The left and right abutment parts 64 have a symmetrical shape, and are arranged with a predetermined gap between them to allow the banknotes to pass through.

[0062] The contact claw 66 of the right contact portion 64 of the pair of left and right contact portions as viewed from downstream has a concave arc-shaped inner shape that abuts from the downstream side against the outer periphery of the downstream right half of the large diameter portion 16c of the transport auxiliary body 16. The contact claw 66 of the left contact portion 64 of the pair of left and right contact portions as viewed from downstream has a concave arc-shaped inner shape that abuts from the downstream side against the outer periphery of the downstream left half of the large diameter portion 16c of the transport auxiliary body 16.

[0063] Each abutment claw 66 is inserted between the ribs 54 on the opening / closing rib 52 side. In detail, the uppermost abutment claw 66a is inserted between the ceiling wall 58 of the passage wall 56 and the adjacent rib 54a below, and the abutment claw 66b is inserted between the rib 54a and the second rib 54b from the top. The abutment claw 66c is inserted between the rib 54b and the third rib 54c from the top, and the abutment claw 66d is inserted between the rib 54c and the fourth rib 54d from the top. The abutment claw 66e is inserted between the rib 54d and the fifth rib 54e from the top, and the abutment claw 66f is inserted between the rib 54e and the bottom plate 55 of the opening / closing rib 52. Each abutment claw 66 is inserted to a position where the support plate 65 of the abutment portion 64 abuts against the end face of the passage wall 56.

[0064] Fig. 24 is a perspective view showing the entrance of the recovery passage 111 as viewed from the separation section 50. As shown in Fig. 24, the storage section 90 and the recovery section 110 form an integrated safe unit 150. The abutment section 64 of the separation section 50 is attached to the entrance of the recovery passage 111 of the recovery section 110, and when the separation section 50 and the safe unit 150 are attached to the support frame 45 and assembled into the main unit 42, each abutment claw 66 of the abutment section 64 is inserted into the above-mentioned position and engages with each rib 54 of the separation section 50.

[0065] 25 to 27 show the separation unit 50 and a horizontal cross section of the collection passage 111 of the collection unit 110 arranged downstream thereof, with some parts omitted. Fig. 25 shows the open state of the opening / closing rib 52, Fig. 26 shows the closed state of the opening / closing rib 52, and Fig. 27 shows Fig. 26 with the addition of the transport auxiliary body 16 captured in the separation unit 50 and the banknotes 6 stopped in the collection passage 111.

[0066] The ribs in the conveying pipe 12 connected to the conveying pipe connection port 51 of the separation section 50, the rib 61 in the upstream area of ​​the separation section 50, each rib 54 of the opening / closing rib 52 in the closed state, and the abutment claw 66 of the abutment section 64 are connected in a sequential step from upstream to downstream (the peak of the downstream rib is lower than the upstream rib (outside the passage)) (see Figure 26).

[0067] Each rib 54 of the opening / closing rib 52 is slightly higher in height near its downstream end toward the inside of the passage. Specifically, it is slightly higher so as to fit along the outer periphery of the head 16a (or neck 16b or constricted portion 16d) of the captured transport auxiliary body 16 (see FIG. 27). This allows the posture of the captured transport auxiliary body 16 to be properly maintained, and the interval between the left and right ribs 54 in the closed state becomes narrower as it approaches the downstream end, so that the banknotes 6 that have arrived at the separation section 50 are guided between the left and right contact portions 64, allowing the banknotes 6 to smoothly advance into the recovery passage 111 (see FIGS. 26 and 27).

[0068] 27, when the opening / closing rib 52 of the separation section 50 is closed, the transport auxiliary body 16 is received and captured by the contact claws 66 of the contact section 64. The joint between the rib 54 of the opening / closing rib 52 and the rib 61 in the upstream area of ​​the separation section passage 56a is a forward step from the rib 61 toward the rib 54, so that when the captured transport auxiliary body 16 is viewed in the direction returning to the upstream area of ​​the separation section passage 56a, it is a reverse step. Therefore, the transport auxiliary body 16 captured by the contact section 64 can be maintained in a stable posture at the captured position.

[0069] As shown in Figures 19, 22, 25, etc., a drop passage 71 is located directly below the captured transport auxiliary body 16. When the opening / closing rib 52 is opened, the bottom of the downstream area of ​​the separation section passage 56a is opened, and the transport auxiliary body 16 falls into the drop passage 71.

[0070] In this way, the opening / closing rib 52 is normally in a closed state, and is displaced to an open state when the captured transport auxiliary body 16 is dropped, so that the opening / closing rib 52 is in a closed state when the banknote 6 passes through the separation unit 50. Therefore, when the banknote 6 passes through, the entire path from the end of the transport tube 12 through the separation unit passage 56a of the separation unit 50 to the recovery passage 111 of the recovery unit 110 is in a state where the ribs are connected, just like inside the transport tube 12, and the posture of the banknote 6 is maintained by the ribs, making it possible to prevent the banknote 6 from clogging.

[0071] For example, even if the rib 54 of the opening / closing rib 52 is not provided and only the bottom plate 55 is opened and closed, it is possible to receive and capture the transport auxiliary body 16 coming from the upstream with the abutment part 64, and to open the bottom plate 55 at the appropriate time to drop the transport auxiliary body 16 through the drop passage 71 to the sending section 70. However, since there is no rib in the downstream area of ​​the separation section passage 56a even when the bottom plate 55 is closed, the posture of the banknotes 6 passing through here becomes unstable, and the banknotes 6 are likely to become clogged. In addition, it becomes difficult to maintain the captured transport auxiliary body 16 in an appropriate posture, and when the bottom plate 55 is opened, the transport auxiliary body 16 does not fall because it does not enter the drop passage 71 well, or the falling posture becomes unstable, which causes a hindrance to moving the transport auxiliary body 16 to the sending section 70.

[0072] In the separation unit 50 according to this embodiment, when the opening / closing rib 52 is closed, the entire path from the end of the conveying tube 12 to the recovery passage 111 of the recovery unit 110 has ribs equivalent to those in the conveying tube 12, so that the ribs can maintain the posture of the banknotes 6 and prevent clogging of the banknotes 6. Furthermore, when the opening / closing rib 52 is closed, the conveying auxiliary body 16 can be held in an appropriate posture, so that when the opening / closing rib 52 is opened, the conveying auxiliary body 16 can be appropriately dropped and moved to the sending unit 70.

[0073] The separation section 50 has a sensor 68a for detecting whether the transport auxiliary body 16 is present at a position captured by the contact portion 64, located on the upper surface of the separation section passage 56a and directly above the falling passage 71 (see Figs. 18 and 19). In addition, a sensor 68b for detecting the passage of the banknote 6 is provided on the side surface of the upstream area of ​​the separation section passage 56a (see Fig. 13). When the sensor 68b detects the banknote 6 and then changes to non-detection after a predetermined time required for the banknote 6 to pass, the control section 43 determines that the banknote 6 has passed normally, and when the detection state continues for a certain period of time or more, determines that the banknote 6 is jammed at the sensor 68b. The separation section 50 has an opening / closing sensor 68c for detecting the opening / closing rib 52 (see Fig. 13).

[0074] Next, the delivery section 70 will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 22 and Figures 28 to 35. The delivery section 70 has a cylindrical delivery passage 73 with a vertically long rectangular cross section. The downstream end of the delivery passage 73 is a conveying pipe connection port 72 to which the beginning end of the conveying pipe 12 is connected. The upstream end of the delivery passage 73 is an air flow intake port 73a from the air flow generating device 130 to which the blower duct from the air flow generating device 130 is connected. A fall passage 71 is provided on the upper surface near the upstream end of the delivery passage 73. The fall passage 71 communicates with the inside of the delivery passage 73. The position directly below the fall passage 71 is a standby position where the conveying auxiliary body 16 that has fallen through the fall passage 71 waits for the next delivery.

[0075] The delivery section 70 is equipped with a check valve 75 as a lid member for opening and closing the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71, a pair of left and right guide rollers 76 for correcting the posture of the transport auxiliary body 16, posture guide members 77 (a-c) for stably maintaining the posture of the transport auxiliary body 16 in the standby position, and ribs 78 (a-c).

[0076] Figures 28 and 29 are perspective views showing one side wall of the delivery passage 73 and the check valve 75. Figure 28 shows the check valve 75 in a hanging position, and Figure 29 shows the check valve 75 in a closed position.

[0077] Fig. 30 shows a state in which the transport auxiliary body 16 is falling from the separation section 50 through the falling passage 71 into the delivery section 70, and Fig. 32 shows a state in which the transport auxiliary body 16 is in a standby position in the delivery section 70. Figs. 33 to 35 chronologically show how the transport auxiliary body 16 is sent out from the standby position toward the beginning end of the transport pipe 12.

[0078] The check valve 75 is a plate-like member whose upper end is supported by a shaft 75c (see Figs. 28 and 29) in the passage width direction of the delivery passage 73 at a position adjacent to the upstream side (upstream side in terms of the air flow during delivery) of the opening at the lower end of the fall passage 71 and can swing, and when hanging, it is in a position (hanging position) where it blocks the intake port of the air flow from the air flow generating device 130, and when the air flow generating device 130 generates an air flow, it rotates downstream by the action of the air flow to close the opening at the lower end of the fall passage 71. The rotation range of the check valve 75 ranges from the hanging position (see Fig. 28) where it abuts against the intake port to a closing position (see Fig. 29) where it blocks the opening at the lower end of the fall passage 71.

[0079] A weight may be attached to the check valve 75 so that when the air flow generating device 130 stops, the check valve 75 quickly returns to the hanging position and does not interfere with the fall of the conveying aid 16. The weight may be attached to the tip of the check valve 75.

[0080] The check valve 75 in the hanging position functions as one of the side walls (upstream side wall) that regulates the position of the transport auxiliary body 16 so that the transport auxiliary body 16 that has fallen through the fall passage 71 is stably held in an appropriate posture at the waiting position (see Figs. 30 and 32). In this function, the weight described above plays a role in stabilizing the check valve 75 in the hanging position (position that serves as a wall regulating position) while the air flow is stopped.

[0081] 28 and 29, the check valve 75 has a lid 75a that closes the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71, and an extension 75b that extends from the lid 75a. In this embodiment, the extension 75b of the check valve 75 is long enough that the tip of the extension 75b reaches approximately the center of the lower large diameter part 16c of the conveying auxiliary body 16 waiting at the waiting position when the check valve 75 is in a hanging position in front of the air flow inlet (see FIG. 32).

[0082] The extension 75b has a length and shape suitable for pushing the conveying auxiliary body 16 in the standby position in the delivery direction with the tip of the extension 75b when the check valve 75 rotates from the hanging position to the blocking position where it blocks the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71 by the action of the air flow. Figure 33 shows how the conveying auxiliary body 16 is pushed out by the tip of the check valve 75 at the start of delivery. When pushing out the conveying auxiliary body 16, the position where the tip of the extension 75b first comes into contact with the conveying auxiliary body 16 is preferably at least below the center of the conveying auxiliary body 16 in the axial direction.

[0083] The guide roller 76 is a circular rotating body that rotates on an axis perpendicular to a plane including the outgoing direction and falling direction of the transport auxiliary body 16, and is supported on the axis at a position downstream in the outgoing direction of the outlet of the drop passage, contacting the transport auxiliary body 16 from the side as it falls from the outlet, and contacting the transport auxiliary body 16 from above as it is being sent out into the transport pipe, thereby regulating the posture of the transport auxiliary body 16 during falling and being sent out.

[0084] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 28, the guide roller 76 is a circular plate-like member having a thickness of several mm, and is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 76a that is vertically installed on the side wall of the delivery passage 73. As shown in Fig. 31, the pair of left and right guide rollers 76 are supported at a position where they abut from the downstream side in the delivery direction on the side of the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter part 16c of the transport auxiliary body 16 that falls through the fall passage 71, and at a position where the lowest point of the guide roller 76 contacts from above the upper surface of the upper large diameter part 16c of the transport auxiliary body 16 that is delivered from the standby position toward the transport pipe 12, as shown in Fig. 33. In this way, the guide roller 76 functions to regulate the posture and fall position of the transport auxiliary body 16 that falls through the fall passage 71, and to correct the posture of the transport auxiliary body 16 when it is delivered from the standby position.

[0085] A posture guide member 77 for stably maintaining the posture of the transport auxiliary body 16 in the standby position is attached to the side wall of the delivery passage 73 (see FIG. 29). The posture guide member 77a abuts against the outer periphery of the large diameter portion 16c of the transport auxiliary body 16 in the standby position to regulate the posture. The posture guide member 77b abuts against the lower surface of the lower large diameter portion 16c of the transport auxiliary body 16 from below to regulate the posture. The posture guide member 77c abuts against the outer periphery of the lower head portion 16a of the transport auxiliary body 16 to regulate the posture.

[0086] The rib 78 corresponds to the ribs 34, 35 (see Figs. 5 and 7) of the conveying pipe 12. As shown in Fig. 32, the lowest rib 78c is extended from a starting end near the conveying auxiliary body 16 in the standby position (a position connected to the posture guide member 77b) to the downstream end of the delivery passage 73. At the starting end of the rib 78c, the upper surface is inclined downward toward the tip, and at the joint with the posture guide member 77b, a step is formed where the upper surface of the starting end of the rib 78c is lower than the upper surface of the posture guide member 77b.

[0087] The starting end of rib 78b is set immediately below the rotation axis of guide roller 76. The starting end of rib 78a is set slightly downstream of rib 78b, at a position immediately before contacting the circumferential surface of guide roller 76 from the upstream side.

[0088] A sensor 79 is provided on the wall surface of the delivery passage 73 for detecting whether or not the transport auxiliary body 16 is present in the standby position (see FIG. 18).

[0089] The paper sheet conveying device 10 is in an initial state as shown in Figure 21, in which the separation section 50 with the opening / closing rib 52 closed is capturing the conveying auxiliary body 16, and when recovering banknotes 6 discharged from the intake device 13 into the conveying tube 12, it operates as follows.

[0090] In the initial state, the airflow generating device 130 is stopped, and the transport auxiliary body 16 is on standby while being captured by the separation section 50. First, when the intake device 13 detects a bill 6 discharged from the rear of the game medium lending machine 3, it takes in the bill 6 and inserts it into the transport tube 12. The control section 43 periodically monitors the state of each intake device 13 by polling, and when it recognizes that a bill 6 has been taken in, it changes the opening / closing rib 52 of the separation section 50 from the closed state to the open state, and causes the transport auxiliary body 16 to fall through the fall passage 71 to the sending section 70.

[0091] As shown in Figures 30 and 31, when the transport auxiliary body 16 comes out from the lower end of the drop passage 71, its position is restricted from three directions by the left and right side walls of the delivery passage 73 (and the posture guide members 77 provided on the side walls) and the check valve 75 in the hanging position, and its position is restricted in the remaining one of the four directions by the guide roller 76, so that the transport auxiliary body 16 falls to the delivery section 70 while maintaining a proper posture (a posture that is almost vertical without inclining beyond a certain level). Since the guide roller 76 is a rotating body, even if the transport auxiliary body 16 comes into contact with the guide roller 76 while falling, the guide roller 76 rotates together with the transport auxiliary body 16 to move the transport auxiliary body 16 downward, thereby preventing the transport auxiliary body 16 from getting caught on the guide roller 76.

[0092] When the control unit 43 recognizes through the detection of the sensor 79 that the transport auxiliary body 16 has normally moved to the delivery unit 70, it closes the opening / closing rib 52 and then activates the airflow generating device 130 to generate an airflow. Then, receiving the airflow sent from the intake port, the check valve 75 of the delivery unit 70 starts to rotate toward the closed position. The transport auxiliary body 16 in the standby position starts to move toward the beginning of the transport pipe 12 by the action of the airflow flowing in from the intake port and by being pushed by the tip of the extension part 75b of the check valve 75 that has started to rotate (see FIG. 33).

[0093] At this time, the position of the transport auxiliary body 16 is restricted by the rib 78c provided on the side wall of the delivery passage 73 and the guide roller 76, and the transport auxiliary body 16 starts to move without tilting forward or backward more than a certain amount. For example, if the transport auxiliary body 16 advances downstream and tries to float up, the upper surface of the large diameter portion 16c on the upper side of the transport auxiliary body 16 comes into contact with the guide roller 76, and the position is restricted. When the transport auxiliary body 16 comes into contact with the guide roller 76, the guide roller 76 rotates to move the transport auxiliary body 16 forward, so that the transport auxiliary body 16 can be smoothly delivered without getting caught and its position can be corrected.

[0094] 34, the conveying auxiliary body 16 is thereafter guided by the ribs 78a to 78c and enters the conveying pipe 12 in a proper posture. The check valve 75 is acted upon by the air flow to reach a closing position where it closes the opening at the lower end of the fall passage 71 (FIG. 35), and remains in the closing position as long as the air flow continues, thereby preventing the air flow from flowing back through the fall passage 71 to the separation section 50.

[0095] The transport auxiliary body 16 sent out from the sending section 70 transports the banknotes 6 on the way while pushing them from behind, and reaches the separation section 50. Since the opening and closing rib 52 of the separation section 50 is in a closed state, the transported banknotes 6 are guided by the rib 61 in the separation section passage 56a and the rib 54 and the abutment claw 66 of the opening and closing rib 52, and pass through the separation section passage 56a in a proper posture, and further pass between the left and right abutment parts 64, enter the recovery passage 111 of the recovery section 110, and stop when it hits the end of the recovery passage 111 (see FIG. 27). When the sensor 68a detects that the transport auxiliary body 16 has stopped by abutting against the abutment claw 66 of the abutment part 64 of the separation section 50, the control section 43 stops the air flow generating device 130. Thereafter, the banknotes 6 in the recovery passage 111 are stored in the storage section 90, and the initial state is restored.

[0096] By performing the above operation every time a banknote 6 is collected, one transport auxiliary body 16 is used cyclically. Note that, on the condition that no banknotes 6 have been taken into the take-in device 13 (no banknotes 6 have been taken into the transport tube 12), the transport auxiliary body 16 waiting in the separation section 50 may be moved to the sending section 70, and then the air flow generating device 130 may be operated to execute an air flow generating device operation confirmation mode for confirming that the transport auxiliary body 16 has returned to the separation section 50. The air flow generating device operation confirmation mode may be executed when the paper sheet transport device 10 is started up, or may be executed at regular time intervals (for example, every 30 minutes), or may be executed as a confirmation operation after an error such as a jam has been cleared.

[0097] Furthermore, the air flow generating device 130 may be operated while the transport auxiliary body 16 is waiting in the separation section 50, and it may be confirmed whether a signal indicating that the air flow generating device 130 has operated normally has been output. In this way, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the air flow generating device 130 does not operate and the transport auxiliary body 16 is unable to collect the banknotes even though the banknotes have been taken into the take-in device 13 and the transport auxiliary body 16 has dropped from the separation section 50.

[0098] In the separation section 50, the step is in the direction in which the transport auxiliary body 16 enters the separation section passage 56a, so that the step is in the direction in which the captured transport auxiliary body 16 tilts or moves toward the end of the transport path, and the transport auxiliary body 16 can be held in a stable position at the captured position. On the other hand, in the delivery section 70, which delivers the transport auxiliary body 16 that has fallen from the fall passage 71 to the beginning of the transport tube 12, the step is in the delivery direction so that the transport auxiliary body 16 can be delivered smoothly without getting caught. Guide rollers 76 and the like are also provided. Therefore, in order to maintain the transport auxiliary body 16 in a stable position for a long time, the separation section 50 is more suitable than the delivery section 70.

[0099] In the paper sheet transport device 10 according to this embodiment, the transport auxiliary body 16 is kept waiting in the separation section 50, and when transporting the next paper sheet, the transport auxiliary body 16 waiting in the separation section 50 is moved to the sending section 70 and then an air flow is generated, so that the transport auxiliary body 16 can be held in a stable position in the separation section 50 until immediately before the next sending. In addition, since the air flow is generated after the transport auxiliary body 16 falls from the separation section 50 to the sending section 70 through the fall passage 71, the fall is not impeded.

[0100] Furthermore, it is also possible to send only the air flow into the transport pipe 12 while the transport auxiliary body 16 is still captured in the separation section 50, which can be used to resolve some obstacles. For example, if the transport auxiliary body 16 is held in the separation section 50, even if the posture of the transport auxiliary body 16 becomes disturbed while being held, the transport auxiliary body 16 can be returned to the correct captured position and then dropped by generating an air flow for a short period of time before it falls.

[0101] In addition, when the transport auxiliary body 16 is first set in the separation section 50, the posture of the transport auxiliary body 16 can be corrected to the normal posture by blowing an air flow from the air flow generating device 130 for a short period of time (for example, about 10 seconds).

[0102] Next, the storage section 90 and the collection section 110 will be described.

[0103] As shown in Figs. 24 and 36, the collection section 110 and the storage section 90 are integrated into a safe unit 150. Fig. 36 is a perspective view showing the entrance of the collection passage 111 as viewed from the separation section 50 side. The collection section 110 is provided with the collection passage 111 that receives and stops the banknotes 6 that have passed through the separation section 50 (see Fig. 27). The collection passage 111 is a hollow passage with a vertically long rectangular cross section. The collection passage 111 receives the banknotes 6 in a horizontally long position with the paper face upright. The passage length is slightly longer than the long side of the banknotes 6, and the end thereof is an outlet 112 for the air flow that flows in from the separation section 50. The outlet 112 is provided with an abutting member 113 that comes into contact with the banknotes 6 arriving from the separation section 50 and stops them in the collection passage 111.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 16, one end of a connection duct 140 is connected to the exhaust port 112 at the end of the recovery passage 111, and the other end of the connection duct 140 is connected to the air intake port of the airflow generating device 130. In this example, the abutting member 113 is provided on the side of the connection duct 140 that is connected to the exhaust port 112 (see FIG. 41). In detail, the end of the connection duct 140 that is connected to the end of the recovery passage 111 is a terminal plate 142 having an airflow suction port 141. The connection duct 140 is connected to the recovery passage 111 by aligning the positions of the suction port 141 and the exhaust port 112 and by bringing the terminal plate 142 into contact with the end of the recovery passage 111. The abutting member 113 is provided on the terminal plate 142 so as to cross the suction port 141.

[0105] The abutment member 113 provided on the end plate 142 is provided so as to cross the discharge port 112 at the end of the recovery passage 111 in the passage width direction at a position approximately in the center of the height of the recovery passage 111 when the connection duct 140 is connected to the recovery passage 111. Here, two abutment members 113 are provided at a predetermined interval in the height direction of the recovery passage 111.

[0106] As shown in Fig. 27 and Fig. 41, a surface (contact surface) of the abutting member 113 against which the banknote 6 abuts is provided with a plurality of protrusions at intervals in a direction across the paper surface of the paper sheet (a direction across the paper surface vertically or diagonally). Specifically, unevenness is provided so as to undulate with the passage width direction as the wavelength direction. When the banknote 6 that has entered the collection passage 111 from the separation unit 50 abuts against the abutting member 113, the leading edge of the banknote 6 fits into one of the recesses, thereby preventing the leading edge of the banknote 6 from sliding in the passage width direction at the time of collision and stabilizing the stopping position of the banknote 6.

[0107] The height of the protrusions should be 0.5 mm to 1 mm, preferably 1 mm, so long as the leading edge of the banknote is caught. The spacing between the protrusions should be 3 mm to 5 mm, preferably 4 mm, and the width of the protrusions should be as small as possible while still ensuring strength. The height, spacing, and width of the protrusions are not limited to these. Furthermore, the direction in which the multiple protrusions cross the discharge port 112 at the end of the recovery passage 111 is not limited to straight across, but may be diagonal or zigzag, etc., as long as they are arranged at intervals in the passage width direction.

[0108] One side wall of the recovery passage 111 (first side wall 115) forms the boundary with the storage section 90 and is composed of an upper first side wall 115a and a lower first side wall 115b separated from each other, with an opening 115c between them for pushing banknotes 6 in the recovery passage 111 into the storage section 90 (see Figures 37, 40, and 44). Figure 37 is a perspective view showing a storage assembly 152 in which the storage section 90 and the first side wall 115 of the recovery passage 111 are integrated.

[0109] Fig. 38 is a perspective view showing the pressing assembly 151, and Fig. 39 is a perspective view showing a part of the pressing assembly 151 disassembled. The other side wall (second side wall 117) of the recovery passage 111 includes a movable wall 117a displaceable so as to be able to advance into the storage section 90 through the opening 115c, a fixed rod-shaped upper second side wall 117b with a rectangular cross section constituting the second side wall 117 above the movable wall 117a, and a fixed rod-shaped lower second side wall 117c with a rectangular cross section constituting the second side wall 117 below the movable wall 117a (see Figs. 38, 39, and 44).

[0110] FIG. 59 is a diagram showing the front and DD cross section of the movable wall 117a. The movable wall 117a is configured by erecting a plurality of ribs 118b on a base plate 118a parallel to the first side wall 115. The ribs 118b are erected vertically from the base plate 118a toward the inside of the recovery passage 111, and extend long in the passage length direction of the recovery passage 111 (over the entire length of the second side wall 117). The plurality of ribs 118b are provided parallel to each other at intervals in the passage height direction, and form grooves between them. The height of the ribs 118b from the base plate 118a is zero at the start end on the entrance side of the recovery passage 111, and the height gradually increases from the start end to the terminal end in a predetermined range (near the entrance of the recovery passage 111, for example, within a range of about 5 cm from the entrance), and then extends to the terminal end at a constant height. The part where the height gradually increases is called the increased height region.

[0111] The height of rib 118b (the height of the part that extends to the end at a constant height) is about 10 mm, the thickness is about 2 mm, and the width of the groove is about 10 mm. The height of rib 118b is preferably 9 mm to 10 mm, the thickness of rib 118b is preferably 1.5 mm to 2 mm, and the width of the groove is preferably 5 mm to 6 mm.

[0112] In the groove between the ribs 118b near the entrance of the collection passage 111, a sloped portion 119 is provided to bend the direction of the airflow flowing in from the separation unit 50 side so that it faces the paper surface of the bill in the passage. When the airflow flowing in from the separation unit 50 side hits the sloped portion 119, it bends its course from the direction flowing downstream along the paper surface to the direction flowing diagonally downstream toward the paper surface. The flow of the airflow and the bill are added to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 59. Here, the sloped portion 119 is provided between the ribs 118b in the height increase region and is not allowed to go beyond the top of the rib 118b to the inside of the passage. In the embodiment, the sloped portion 119 is provided in a range of about 1 / 4 of the end side of the height increase region of the rib 118b, and is an inclined surface that starts from a height of zero and is inclined at an angle such that it becomes the same height as the top of the rib 118b near the end of the height increase region.

[0113] The number, position, range, and inclination angle of the inclined surface portion 119 are not limited to the above, and may be appropriately determined as long as the effect of bending the path of the air flow flowing into the recovery passage 111 so that the air flow is directed toward the paper surface of the bill in the recovery passage is obtained. For example, the inclined surface portion 119 may be provided in any range within the height increase region. The start of the inclined surface portion 119 may be the start end of the recovery passage 111 like the rib 118b, or may be downstream from that. In addition, the end of the inclined surface portion 119 is not limited to the end of the height increase region, and may end closer to the start end. Furthermore, the inclined surface portion 119 may be a curved inclined surface or a flat inclined surface. FIG. 60(a) illustrates an inclined surface portion 119 with a gentler inclination than that of FIG. 59.

[0114] The slope portion 119 may be provided downstream of the height increase region, or may be provided from the height increase region to the downstream thereof. The slope portion 119 is not limited to being provided near the entrance of the recovery passage 111, but may be provided downstream of the entrance of the recovery passage 111, or another slope portion 119b may be additionally provided downstream of the slope portion 119 provided near the entrance of the recovery passage 111, as shown in Figure 60(b).

[0115] 60(c), the rib 118b and the slope portion 119 may be integrated, for example, so that the entire height-increasing region is made into the slope portion 119. The slope portion 119 may be provided on the first side wall 115 side near the entrance of the recovery passage 111, or may be provided on both side walls.

[0116] The inclined surface portion 119 has the effect of guiding the banknotes 6 to the end of the recovery passage 111. If the inclined surface portion 119 is not provided, the banknotes 6 that have entered the recovery passage 111 from the separation unit 50 may not reach the end of the recovery passage 111, and if the movable wall 117a is advanced in this state to store the banknotes 6 in the storage unit 90, the rear end of the banknote 6 will not enter the opening 115c properly and will be folded, causing an obstacle.

[0117] In other words, when the transport auxiliary body 16 is captured by the separation section 50, the banknotes 6 are no longer pushed by the transport auxiliary body 16, and must directly receive the force moving downstream from the air flow. However, since the air flow is parallel to the paper surface of the banknotes 6, they are unlikely to receive the force from the air flow.

[0118] In particular, when the transport auxiliary body 16 is captured in the separation section 50, the transport auxiliary body 16 obstructs the flow of air, weakening the air flow in the recovery passage 111 downstream of the separation section 50, making the above-mentioned obstruction likely to occur.

[0119] When the inclined surface portion 119 is provided, the path of the airflow flowing in from the separation unit 50 side is bent from a direction flowing parallel to the paper surface of the banknote to a direction toward the paper surface (diagonally downstream direction), so that the diagonally downstream airflow hits the paper surface of the banknote 6 and moves the banknote 6 downstream. This movement is a few centimeters until the leading end of the banknote 6 reaches the abutting member 113 at the end of the recovery passage 111, and it is sufficient to move the banknote 6 forward little by little. The inclined surface portion 119 is provided at a position where the banknote 6 can be moved downstream until the leading end of the banknote reaches the abutting member 113. Specifically, it is preferable to provide the inclined surface portion 119 so that the rear end of the banknote whose leading end has reached the abutting member 113 is upstream of the end of the inclined surface portion 119 (the end on the abutting member 113 side).

[0120] A sensor may be provided to directly confirm that the leading edge of the banknote 6 has reached the abutment member 113 at the end of the recovery passage 111, but it may also be possible to estimate that the leading edge of the banknote 6 has reached the abutment member 113 at the end of the recovery passage 111 by waiting for a predetermined time to elapse after the sensor detects that the transport auxiliary body 16 has reached the separation unit 50. In the embodiment, control is performed so that the operation of storing the banknote from the recovery passage 111 to the storage unit 90 is started 2 to 3 seconds after the sensor 68c detects that the transport auxiliary body 16 has reached the separation unit 50.

[0121] 59, if a groove between ribs 118b in the height-increasing region is provided with a slope 119 with a greater slope than the slope of rib 118b, even if the banknote 6 sticks to the top of rib 118b, air flows in the groove between ribs 118b, and the air changes direction at slope 119 to strike the paper surface of banknote 6. Therefore, the slope configured as above can more appropriately ensure the conveying force by the airflow compared to a slope configured as shown in FIG. 60(c) in which rib 118b and slope 119 are integrated (configuration without a groove).

[0122] Further, even in the area downstream of the height increase area, the grooves formed between the multiple ribs 118b ensure an air flow path on the movable wall 117a side of the paper surface of the banknote 6 in the recovery passage 111 (an air flow path is ensured even if the banknote sticks to the ribs 118b), so that air flows on both sides of the paper surface of the banknote 6 and the banknote 6 can be smoothly guided to the end of the recovery passage 111. Furthermore, by providing the ribs 118b, the contact area between the movable wall 117a and the banknote 6 is reduced, reducing resistance, making it easier to lead the banknote 6 to the end of the recovery passage 111.

[0123] The rib 118b and the slope portion 119 are not limited to the movable wall 117a as long as they are provided on a wall surface facing the paper surface of the paper sheets in the recovery passage 111. For example, they may be formed on a fixed wall surface instead of a movable wall surface like the movable wall 117a.

[0124] Furthermore, the recovery section 110 has a displacement mechanism 120 that displaces the movable wall 117a. The displacement mechanism 120 is composed of a motor and a link that converts the rotation of the motor into a linear reciprocating motion that moves the movable wall 117a forward and backward. The movable wall 117a moves forward and backward in the passage width direction of the recovery passage 111, thereby displacing between a stored position shown in Figs. 38 and 43 and a pushed-in position (see Fig. 44(c)) where the movable wall 117a has advanced into the storage section 90 through the opening 115c.

[0125] The length of movable wall 117a in the height direction of recovery passage 111 is slightly shorter than the length of opening 115c in the height direction of recovery passage 111, and the center position of movable wall 117a in the height direction of the recovery passage coincides with the center position of opening 115c in the height direction of the recovery passage.

[0126] The pressing assembly 151 shown in Fig. 38 is an assembly in which the second side wall 117 of the recovery passage 111 of the recovery section 110 and the displacement mechanism section 120 are integrated together, and Fig. 39 is a perspective view showing the movable wall 117a separated from the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c of the second side wall 117 compared to Fig. 38. Fig. 40 shows a portion (guide member 157) of the recovery passage 111 that is attached to the storage section 90 side. The guide member 157 is a member that forms the first side walls 115a, 115b and the upper and lower walls 126, 127 of the recovery passage 111.

[0127] Of the second side walls 117, the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c, which are shaped like a rectangular rod in cross section, extend beyond the abutting member 113 and into the suction port 141 provided in the end plate 142 of the connection duct 140, as shown in Figures 16, 27, and 41. This prevents the leading end of the banknote 6 from getting between the end of the recovery passage 111 and the end plate 142 of the connection duct 140. Figure 41 is a perspective view showing the connection duct 140, with the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c noted.

[0128] Even if the manufacturing precision is improved, a gap will inevitably be generated between the end of the recovery passage 111 and the end plate 142 on the connection duct 140 side. Therefore, if the abutting member 113 is not provided with unevenness and the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c are terminated at or just before the end of the recovery passage 111 as shown in Fig. 42, when the banknote 6 collides with the abutting member 113, the leading end of the banknote 6 may slip on the abutting surface of the abutting member 113 that has no unevenness, enter into the gap between the end of the recovery passage 111 and the end plate 142 of the connection duct 140, and be caught.

[0129] In the separating, recovering and sending out device 40 of this embodiment, the unevenness of the abutting member 113 prevents the leading end of the banknote 6 from sliding sideways on the contact surface, and the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c are extended beyond the abutting member 113 into the suction port 141 of the connecting duct 140, so that the leading end of the banknote 6 contacting the contact surface of the abutting member 113 is blocked by the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c and does not enter and become pinched in the gap between the end of the recovery passage 111 and the end plate 142 of the connecting duct 140.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 27, the start end (end on the separation section 50 side) of the second side wall 117 (117a to 117c) of the recovery passage 111 is located outside the passage width direction of the banknote 6 passing area formed between the pair of left and right abutment claws 66 of the separation section 50, and the connection with the adjacent abutment claw 66 on the upstream side is a step in the passage width direction. The second side wall 117 is inclined in a direction approaching the first side wall 115 in a predetermined range of the start end, and when the wall surface approaches the center of the passage width (the center position in the passage width direction of the passing area between the pair of left and right abutment claws 66), it becomes parallel to the passage length direction and extends to the end. In other words, the second side wall 117 narrows the actual passage width of the recovery passage 111 to approximately half of the first side wall 115 side, thereby suppressing the inclination of the vertical posture of the banknote 6.

[0131] The start ends (ends on the separation section 50 side) of the upper first side wall 115a and the lower first side wall 115b constituting the first side wall 115 are located outside the passage area of ​​the banknote 6 formed between the pair of left and right abutment claws 66 in the passage width direction, and the connection with the adjacent abutment claws 66 on the upstream side forms a step in the passage width direction. The first side wall 115 is inclined so as to approach the second side wall 117 in a small range of the start end, and when the wall surface approaches a position close to the center until it is slightly outside the passage area, it then becomes parallel to the passage length direction and extends to the end. The wall surface position in the passage width direction of the first side wall 115 in the part parallel to the passage length direction is the same as the tip of the rib 61 formed on the side wall 57 on the same side as the first side wall 115 of the separation section passage 56a. The first side wall 115, like the second side wall 117, narrows the effective passage width of the recovery passage 111 to suppress the inclination of the vertical posture of the banknote 6.

[0132] As shown in Figures 17, 37, etc. The storage unit 90 has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape for storing banknotes 6, and the front is a door 91 that opens and closes. The storage unit 90 and the collection passage 111 are adjacent to each other and integrated via a first side wall 115 of the collection passage 111 (one side wall of the collection passage facing one side of the stopped paper sheets). The side of the storage unit 90 on the collection passage 111 side is open, and the boundary between the storage unit 90 and the collection passage 111 is the first side wall 115 on the collection passage 111 side, and the storage unit 90 and the collection passage 111 communicate with each other via an opening 115c of the first side wall 115.

[0133] Fig. 43 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the collection passage 111 and the storage unit 90 at a position corresponding to the line CC in Fig. 13. Inside the storage unit 90, there are provided a pressing plate 92 for pressing the side surface of the stored banknote 6 toward the first side wall 115 of the collection passage 111, and a spring 94 for urging the pressing plate 92 toward the first side wall 115 of the collection passage 111.

[0134] A rubber plate 96 is attached to the surface of the first side wall 115 (upper first side wall 115a, lower first side wall 115b) of the recovery passage 111 facing the storage section 90. The pressing plate 92 has a base 92a pressed by a spring 94, an upper pressing part 92b extending obliquely upward and forward from the upper part of the base 92a (forward: recovery passage 111 side) and a front end of the rubber plate 96 of the upper first side wall 115a abutting on the surface of the rubber plate 96, and a lower pressing part 92c extending obliquely downward and forward from the lower part of the base 92a and a front end of the rubber plate 96 of the lower first side wall 115b abutting on the surface of the rubber plate 96. The other end of the spring 94 is attached to the side wall of the storage section 90. As shown in FIG. 37, a U-shaped notch 92d is provided at both ends of the base 92a of the pressing plate 92 in the passage length direction of the recovery passage.

[0135] 44 and 45 are explanatory diagrams showing an outline of the operation when storing the banknotes 6 stopped in the collection passage 111 of the collection unit 110 in the storage unit 90. Like Fig. 43, Fig. 44 and Fig. 45 show an outline of a cross section of the collection passage 111 and the storage unit 90 at a position corresponding to the line CC in Fig. 13.

[0136] Fig. 44(a) shows a state in which several banknotes 6 have been stored in the storage unit 90 and the next banknote 6 to be stored has arrived at the collection passage 111. When the banknote 6 in the collection passage 111 is stored in the storage unit 90, the movable wall 117a advances into the storage unit 90, and when it reaches the push-in position shown in Fig. 44(c), it starts to retreat and returns to the storage position shown in Fig. 45(a), completing the series of operations.

[0137] As shown in Fig. 44(b), when the banknote 6 is pushed by the movable wall 117a and passes through the opening 115c of the first side wall 115, the upper and lower ends of the banknote 6 come into contact with the upper first side wall 115a and the lower first side wall 115b and are curved, and when the banknote 6 has passed through, the curve returns to its original state and becomes flat (Fig. 44(c)). After that, when the movable wall 117a retreats from the pushing position to the storage position, the pressing plate 92 pressed by the spring 94 moves toward the recovery passage 111 together with the movable wall 117a while sandwiching the banknote 6 between the movable wall 117a and the pressing plate 92.

[0138] As shown in Figure 45 (a), the movable wall 117a passes through the opening 115c and returns to the storage position, and the banknote 6, which has returned to its flattened state and has no curve, has its upper and lower ends abutting the rubber plate 96 of the upper first side wall 115a and the rubber plate 96 of the lower first side wall 115b, and is clamped between the first side wall 115 (115a, 115b) and the pressure plate 92.

[0139] When an operator removes the bills 6 stored in this manner from the storage unit 90, the operator opens the door 91 of the storage unit 90, and takes out the bills 6 by pinching them with his / her fingers using the notch 92d provided in the pressing plate 92. If one or more bills 6 are stored, as shown in FIG. 44(a) and FIG. 45(a), the opening 115c of the first side wall 115 of the recovery passage 111 is blocked by the bills 6 sandwiched between the pressing plate 92 and the rubber plate 96. Therefore, even if the pressing plate 92 has the notch 92d, the airtightness of the boundary between the recovery passage 111 and the storage unit 90 is ensured. Therefore, the suction force of the airflow generating device 130 when sucking the airflow from the end of the recovery passage 111 can be maintained high, and the conveying auxiliary body 16 and the bills 6 can be conveyed at high speed and stably.

[0140] After the storage position shown in Fig. 45(a) is reached, the movable wall 117a may be advanced to the position shown in Fig. 45(b) again as the end position of the storage operation. If the state shown in Fig. 45(a) is the end of the storage operation, when opening the door 91 of the storage unit 90 to remove the banknotes 6, the finger (the finger opposite the notch 92d) hits the wall member at the boundary between the recovery passage 111 and the storage unit 90, making it difficult to remove the banknotes 6. If the storage operation is ended at the position shown in Fig. 45(b), there is nothing to obstruct the finger removing the banknotes 6, making it easy to remove the banknotes 6.

[0141] As described above, when the air flow is discharged from the discharge outlet 112 at the end of the recovery passage 111, the banknotes 6 that have entered the recovery passage 111 are stopped by abutting against the abutment member 113, and then the air flow is stopped, thereby recovering the banknotes 6 and separating them from the air flow, so that the banknotes 6 can be separated from the air flow and recovered with a simple configuration.

[0142] Furthermore, by pushing the paper surface of the banknote 6 stopped in the collection passage 111 in the direction of the passage width with the movable wall 117a, the banknote is stored directly from the stopped position into the storage section 90. This makes it possible to simplify the storage mechanism and reduce the causes of breakdowns and banknote jamming compared to when the banknote is transported to the safe using a belt transport or the like.

[0143] As shown in Figure 43, the height of the recovery passage 111 is made greater than the height of the banknotes 6 to allow for clearance, and a banknote 6 stopped in the recovery passage 111 is biased downward with its lower edge touching the bottom surface of the recovery passage 111 due to its own weight, so that the height centre of the recovery passage 111 and the height centre of the banknotes 6 in the passage are misaligned.

[0144] However, in order for the banknotes 6 to be pushed from the recovery passage 111 into the storage unit 90 through the opening 115c of the first side wall 115, it is desirable that the center position in the height direction of the banknotes 6 coincides with the center position in the height direction of the opening 115c of the first side wall 115. For this reason, the length in the passage height direction of the upper first side wall 115a is made longer than the length in the passage height direction of the lower first side wall 115b.

[0145] Moreover, the upper pressing portion 92b and the lower pressing portion 92c of the pressing plate 92 have a size and shape corresponding to the upper first side wall 115a and the lower first side wall 115b on which the rubber plate 96 that they come into contact with is provided.

[0146] Next, the flexibility of installation of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 will be described.

[0147] As shown in Fig. 46, the door 46 of the storage box 41 of the separating, recovering, and sending out device 40 can be used as either a right-opening or left-opening door by inverting it up and down with respect to the body of the storage box 41. In either case, a window 46a is provided at a position symmetrical with respect to a point that is the center of the door from top to bottom and the center of the door from left to right so that the display unit of the control unit 43 can be confirmed. The window 46a that is not used is covered with a blind member.

[0148] 47, two separating, collecting, and sending out devices 40 may be used side by side, and two storage boxes 41 may be arranged adjacent to each other. In this case, too, the periphery of the door 46 is chamfered to form a slope that is inclined at 45 degrees so that the door 46 can be opened up to 90 degrees.

[0149] In addition, by changing the orientation and assembly method of some of the parts, the main unit 42 of the separation, recovery and sending out device 40 can be used in both a right specification in which the storage section 90 is arranged on the right side of the recovery section 110 (see Figures 48(a) and (b)), and a left specification in which the storage section 90 is arranged on the left side of the recovery section 110 (see Figure 48(c)).

[0150] The separation, recovery and sending device 40 consists of a storage box 41 and a main unit 42, which are separate entities and are attached individually to the end panel 18. The main unit 42 can also be changed to a right- or left-handed specification, allowing for a variety of installation methods, as shown in Figure 48.

[0151] Fig. 48(a) shows a state where a right-hand specification main unit 42 is attached to the left side of a storage box 41 with a door 46 that opens to the right. Fig. 48(b) shows a state where a right-hand specification main unit 42 is attached to the right side of a storage box 41 with a door 46 that opens to the left. Fig. 48(c) shows a state where a left-hand specification main unit 42 is attached to the right side of a storage box 41 with a door 46 that opens to the left.

[0152] For example, if the separating, recovering, and sending out device 40 shown in Figure 48(c) is installed adjacent to the left side of the separating, recovering, and sending out device 40 shown in Figure 48(a), the two conveying pipes 12 connected to these two separating, recovering, and sending out devices 40 can be installed as close to each other as possible, making it possible to reduce the island width of the gaming machine island 2 configured to have two banknote conveying paths side by side.

[0153] The right and left specifications are recombined as follows:

[0154] As shown in Fig. 49, the connection duct 140 is formed by combining a lower duct 144, an upper duct 145, upper and lower connection plates 146, and an end plate 142. The lower duct 144 is a duct that extends downward from one end of a rectangular first opening 144a facing upward, and then bends 90 degrees to reach a second opening 144b at the other end side that is connected to the air intake port of the airflow generating device 130. The upper duct 145 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape with one end closed and the other end open, with one side open, and the end plate 142 is fitted into the open side to combine them.

[0155] The upper and lower connecting plates 146 are plate-like members that are placed over the first opening 144a of the lower duct 144, and have a rectangular cutout portion 146a at one corner that corresponds to the opening at the lower end of the upper duct 145 combined with the end plate 142, and the lower end of the combined end plate 142 and upper duct 145 are screwed in place by aligning the opening at the lower end with the cutout portion 146a.

[0156] The end plate 142 is a rectangular plate-like member having a rectangular cutout 142a at one corner which serves as a suction port 141 communicating with the end of the recovery passage 111, and is provided with an abutment member 113 protruding into the cutout 142a. The abutment member 113 has projections (protrusions) formed on both the front and back sides.

[0157] For the right-side connection duct 140, the upper and lower connection plates 146 are turned over and combined with the lower duct 144 with the position of the cutout portion 146a reversed left to right, and the end plate 142 is turned over and combined with the upper duct 145 with the position of the cutout portion 142a reversed left to right, thereby connecting the upper duct 145 side and the lower duct 144 side to form a left-side connection duct 140.

[0158] Figure 50 shows an overview of the process of reassembling the safe unit 150 from a right-hand specification to a left-hand specification. Figure 50(a) shows the assembled state of the right-hand specification safe unit 150, (b) shows the disassembled state of the right-hand specification safe unit 150, (c) shows the disassembled state of the left-hand specification safe unit 150, and (d) shows the assembled state of the left-hand specification safe unit 150.

[0159] <1st process> The safe unit 150 is disassembled into a pressing assembly 151 in which the second side wall 117 of the collection unit 110 and the displacement mechanism unit 120 are integrated, and a storage assembly 152 in which the first side wall 115 side of the collection unit 110 and the storage unit 90 are integrated. In addition, a fullness detection assembly 153 consisting of a sensor that detects whether the storage unit 90 is full of banknotes 6 and its support member, and a lock mechanism assembly 154 for locking the door 91 of the storage unit 90 are removed from the storage assembly 152 (see FIG. 50(b)).

[0160] <Second process> (1) Changing the pressure assembly 151 from right-hand to left-hand specifications As shown in Fig. 51, the second side wall 117 (the movable wall 117a, the upper second side wall 117b, and the lower second side wall 117c) is removed from the pressing assembly 151 (Fig. 51(b)), and is then reversed and assembled to the pressing assembly 151 (Fig. 51(c)). In addition, the clamp 155 attached to the mounting position for the right-hand version is removed, and is assembled to the mounting position for the left-hand version.

[0161] (2) Reconfiguring the storage assembly 152 from the right-hand model to the left-hand model As shown in FIG. 52, the guide members 157 of the first side wall 115 and the like that were attached to the storage section 90 side of the recovery passage 111 are removed, turned upside down, and reassembled.

[0162] 53, the pressure plate 92 of the storage unit 90 is temporarily removed, reassembled from the right-hand specification to the left-hand specification, and then reassembled into the storage unit 90. Specifically, the detection plate 158 that is the detection target of the full-package detection sensor and that was attached in the right-hand specification position and the handle 159 for manually moving the pressure plate 92 are temporarily removed from the pressure plate 92, and these are then attached in the left-hand specification position, after which the pressure plate 92 is reassembled into the storage unit 90.

[0163] As shown in Figure 54, the full detection assembly 153 is reassembled from the right-hand specification (Figure 54(a)) to the left-hand specification (Figure 54(b)). Specifically, the sensor 153b attached to the support member 153a is temporarily removed, and the sensor 153b is returned to the support member 153a in the left-hand specification position.

[0164] <3rd process> As shown in FIG. 50(c), the storage assembly 152 is inverted up, down, left and right with respect to the right-hand specification orientation, and a full detection assembly 153 and a locking mechanism assembly 154 that have been modified to the left-hand specification are attached to it, and further a pressing assembly 151 that has been inverted left and right with respect to the right-hand specification orientation is attached.

[0165] As a result of the above, the left specification is changed to that shown in FIG. 50(d).

[0166] Next, the airflow augmentation unit 14 will be described.

[0167] 55 is a perspective view showing the airflow augmenting unit 14, FIG. 56 is a top view of the airflow augmenting unit 14, FIG. 57 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 56, and FIG. 58 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

[0168] The airflow enhancing unit 14 is provided in the middle of the straight conveying pipe 12. The airflow enhancing unit 14 has a passage section 171 that is connected between the conveying pipes 12 and forms a part of the conveying path, and a junction section 172 that is erected from the upper surface of the passage section 171 at an incline in the upward oblique upstream direction (upstream direction of the conveying direction) and introduces the airflow from the auxiliary blower into the passage section 171. The junction section 172 is connected to the inside of the passage section 171, and has a junction base section 172a that is a rectangular cross-sectional cylinder extending from the middle of the passage section 171 at an incline in the upward oblique upstream direction, and a cylindrical hose connection section 172b that is erected from the upper end of the junction base section 172a at an incline further upward obliquely in the upstream direction. An air blowing hose from the auxiliary blower is connected to the hose connection section 172b.

[0169] As shown in Fig. 57, a shutter plate 173 that opens and closes to close the internal air passage below the hose connection part 172b is provided inside the junction base part 172a. One end of the shutter plate 173 is rotatably supported on a shaft 174 provided on the upstream side of the internal air passage in the conveying direction of the banknotes 6 in the passage part 171, and is biased by a spring in the direction to close the air passage. The shutter plate 173 opens when the airflow generated by the auxiliary blower is blown in from the hose connection part 172b.

[0170] The shutter plate 173 does not open to an angle where its lower end is directly below the pivot shaft 174, and its rotation range is restricted so that the limit of its opening is an angle at which the lower end of the shutter plate 173 is inclined from the pivot shaft 174 to the downstream side in the conveying direction. When the shutter plate 173 receives the air flow flowing in from the hose connection part 172b, it takes an inclined position when it opens to the limit position, as shown by the broken line in Fig. 57, and guides the flowing in air to the downstream in the conveying direction.

[0171] A passage sensor 175 for detecting the passage of the transport auxiliary body 16 is provided on the side wall of the passage portion 171 .

[0172] In order to make effective use of the space in the game center, it is desirable to reduce the thickness of the game machine island 2, and there is little room in the thickness direction inside the game machine island. Since the airflow enhancing unit 14 blows air from above the passage part 171, the air blower hose connected to the hose connection part 172b is also connected from above, and the installation space in the thickness direction of the game machine island 2 can be reduced compared to when the air blower hose is connected from the side.

[0173] In addition, the airflow enhancing unit 14 blows the airflow into the passage 171 from above in an oblique downstream direction (downstream in the conveying direction), so that the airflow can be efficiently strengthened toward the downstream direction of the conveying pipe 12. Note that the airflow enhancing unit 14 may be configured to blow the airflow into the passage 171 from below in an oblique downstream direction, for example.

[0174] The joining of the airflow into the conveying pipe by the airflow amplifying unit 14 is not limited to joining the airflow in an oblique downstream direction from the upper surface (or lower surface) of the conveying path. The airflow inlet may be provided on the left and right side surfaces of the conveying pipe 12, and the airflow from the auxiliary blower may be introduced from the side surface of the conveying pipe to join the airflow. Furthermore, the airflow inlet may be formed to straddle the upper surface and the side surface of the conveying pipe 12, and the position where the inlet is provided may be any position on the outer periphery of the conveying pipe.

[0175] As shown in FIG. 58, the airflow enhancing unit 14 has ribs 176 similar to the ribs 34, 35 of the conveying pipe 12 in the passage portion 171 over the entire length. The airflow enhancing unit 14 has a junction portion 172 in the center of the entire length of the passage portion 171, and the passage portion 171 in the front and rear portions has the same shape as the conveying pipe 12. The junction base portion 172a of the junction portion 172 has the same inner shape as the conveying pipe 12 in the portion corresponding to the expansion portion 33 of the conveying pipe 12 and the portion below it, and has the same air passage width as the expansion portion 33 of the conveying pipe 12 above the portion corresponding to the expansion portion 33, and has a pair of partition walls 177 corresponding to the left and right side wall portions 32 of the conveying pipe 12 inside the air passage.

[0176] The pair of partition walls 177 extend to the height of the shutter plate 173 in the closed position. The shutter plate 173 has cuts 173a to avoid this at locations corresponding to the pair of partition walls 177. When the shutter plate 173 is in the closed position, the cuts 173a are blocked by the partition walls 177 to prevent air from leaking.

[0177] When the shutter plate 173 is opened, the outer portions of the pair of notches 173a come into contact with the inner wall of the junction base portion 172a, thereby restricting the limit angle of opening.

[0178] The air flow enhancement unit 14 is provided with a pair of partition walls 177 within the junction base 172a of the junction 172, so that the inside shape of the banknote passage is the same as the inside of the conveying tube 12 over its entire length, allowing the banknotes 6 and the conveying auxiliary body 16 to pass through while maintaining their posture properly.

[0179] Since the intake device 13 connected to the middle of the conveying tube 12 has an opening for taking in the banknotes 6, even if a lid that opens only when taking in the banknotes is provided, the air flow in the conveying tube is likely to leak out from the intake device 13. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the air flow amplifying unit 14 downstream of the intake device 13, preferably adjacent to the downstream of the intake device 13. Also, it is possible to install multiple air flow amplifying units 14 (for example, up to five units) in the middle of the conveying tube 12.

[0180] Controlling the operation of the airflow augmentation unit 14 will now be described.

[0181] The auxiliary blower is started when the passage of the transport auxiliary body 16 is detected by the passage sensor 175. More specifically, the time required for the transport auxiliary body 16 to reach the corresponding air flow amplifying unit 14 after being sent out from the sending section 70 is measured, and the time required +α is preset as the mask time. If there is no obstruction such as a blockage, the transport auxiliary body 16 passes through the corresponding air flow amplifying unit 14 before the mask time has elapsed after being sent out.

[0182] After the transport auxiliary body 16 is sent out, the air flow enhancing unit 14 operates the auxiliary blower to merge the air flows on the condition that the passage sensor 175 detects the passage of the transport auxiliary body 16 and the mask time has elapsed since the transport auxiliary body 16 was sent out. That is, - Passage detection after mask time has elapsed After passing detection, mask time has elapsed Start the auxiliary blower with either

[0183] The mask time serves to prevent the auxiliary blower from being activated when the passing sensor 175 of the air flow amplification unit 14 detects the banknote 6 before it passes through the transport auxiliary body 16, in case the banknote 6 taken into the take-in device 13 moves in the transport direction due to the action of the air flow.

[0184] The air flow amplifying unit 14 stops the auxiliary blower when it receives a stop command from the control unit 43 of the separating, collecting, and sending out device 40. For example, when the separating, collecting, and sending out device 40 detects the arrival of the transport auxiliary body 16, the control unit 43 transmits a stop command to each air flow amplifying unit 14.

[0185] The timing for stopping the auxiliary blower is not limited to this, and for example, if multiple air flow amplification units 14 are provided along the conveying path, the auxiliary blower of the first air flow amplification unit 14 may be stopped on the condition that the second air flow amplification unit 14 downstream (one or more downstream) from the first air flow amplification unit 14 has started up its auxiliary blower.

[0186] In addition, in a transport retry after a transport error occurs, the auxiliary blower is operated when the mask time has elapsed, regardless of whether or not passage is detected. This is intended to move the banknotes 6 and the transport auxiliary body 16 to the end of the transport pipe by blowing air from the auxiliary blower, even if an event occurs in which the passage sensor 175 of the air flow amplifying unit 14 cannot detect passage (the transport auxiliary body 16 is transported at high speed).

[0187] Since the air flow amplifying unit 14 operates the auxiliary blower to blow in an air flow after the conveying auxiliary body 16 has passed, when the banknotes 6 and the conveying auxiliary body 16 pass, the shutter plate 173 is in a position to close the blowing port and does not interfere with the passage of the banknotes 6 and the conveying auxiliary body 16. Also, when the air flow is not being blown from the auxiliary blower, the shutter plate 173 closes the air passage of the junction 172, so that the air flow in the conveying pipe 12 is prevented from leaking out from the junction 172.

[0188] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to that shown in the embodiment, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0189] The shape of the transport auxiliary body 16 is not limited to that shown in the embodiment. The shape of the transport tube 12 is also not limited to that shown in the embodiment. The inner shape may be any shape that corresponds to the shape of the transport auxiliary body 16.

[0190] In the embodiment, the paper sheet transport device 10 collects the paper notes 6 within the gaming machine island 2 to the separating, collecting and sending out device 40 at the end of the island, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be used as a device that collects paper sheets from a wider area. For example, the paper sheet transport device may be configured as a transport device for collecting the paper notes 6 from the safes of each gaming machine island 2 in an amusement facility to a main safe in an office. Furthermore, the place of use is not limited to an amusement facility and the device may be applied to any facility.

[0191] The separating, collecting and sending device 40 may be configured as a separate device by extracting some of its functions. For example, in a paper sheet transport device that transports paper sheets by the action of air flow without using the transport auxiliary body 16, the separating unit 50 is unnecessary, and the collecting unit 110 and the storing unit 90 may be used to configure a device that separates the air flow from the paper sheets and stores the paper sheets in a safe.

[0192] The gaming machine island 2 is not limited to the configuration accommodating the gaming machines 4 and the gaming medium lending machine 3 as exemplified in the embodiment, but may be an gaming machine island accommodating a medal lending machine and a slot machine, etc. The paper sheets to be transported are not limited to banknotes.

[0193] In the embodiment, a transport auxiliary body 16 is used to transport paper sheets, but the paper sheets can be transported by the action of air flow, and the present invention can also be applied to a transport method in which the paper sheets are transported by having air flow act directly on them without using the transport auxiliary body 16. [Explanation of symbols]

[0194] 2. Gaming Machine Island 3...Game media rental machine 4. Gaming machines 6. Banknotes 10...Paper sheet transport device 12...Transport pipe 12a…Outbound 12b…Turn section 12c…Return 13...Capturing device 14…Airflow enhancement unit 16...Transportation auxiliary body 16a...Head 16b...Neck 16c…Large diameter section 16d…Constricted part 18…wife board 31...Upper and lower walls 32…Side wall 33…Extension 34…Separation wall (rib) 35…Rib 40...Separation, recovery and sending device 41…Storage box 42…Main unit 43...Control section 45…Support frame 46…Door 46a…Window 50…Separation part 51...Transport pipe connection port 52…Opening and closing rib 53…Side wall 54(a~e)…Rib 55...Bottom plate 56…Aisle wall 56a...Separation section passage 57…Side wall 58…Ceiling wall 59…Bottom wall 61(a~e)…Rib 62(a~e)…Slit 64...Contact part 65...Support plate 66(a~f)...Abutment claw 68…Opening and closing drive unit 68a...Sensor (detects auxiliary transport body at supplementary position) 68b...Sensor (banknote passing detection) 68c…Open / close sensor 70...Transmission section 71...Falling passage 72...Transport pipe connection port 73...Delivery passage 73a...Air flow intake 75...Check valve 75a…Lid part 75b…Extension 75c…shaft 76...Guide roller 76a...Rotating shaft 77(a-c)... Posture guide member 78(a~c)…Rib 79...Sensor (detection of auxiliary transport body at standby position) 90…Storage area 91...door 92…Pressure plate 92a...Base 92b...Upper pressing part 92c…Lower pressing part 92d…Notch 94…Spring 96…Rubber sheet 110…Collection section 111... Collection passage 112...Terminal outlet 113...butting member 115…First side wall 115a...Top first side wall 115b…Lower first side wall 115c…Opening 117…Second side wall 117a…Movable wall 117b...Top second side wall 117c…lower second side wall 118a...Base plate 118b…Rib 119…Slope 120...Displacement mechanism 126, 127...Upper and lower walls 130...Air flow generating device 140…Connecting duct 141...Suction port 142…Terminal plate 142a...Notch 144…Lower duct 144a…1st opening 144b…Second opening 145…Upper duct 146...Upper and lower connecting plates 146a...Notch part 150…Safe unit 151...Press assembly 152…Storage assembly 153…Full detection assembly 153a...support member 153b…Sensor (full detection) 154... Lock mechanism assembly 155…Clamp 157...Guide member 158…Detection plate 159…Handle 171...Aisle section 172…Confluence 172a…Confluence base 172b…Hose connection 173...Shutter plate 173a…Incision 174…Axis 175...Passing sensor 176…Rib 177…Partition wall Dx: Distance between reference flat surfaces of transfer pipes Dy…Inner dimension of conveying pipe in Y direction F: Extension direction of conveying pipe W…Aisle width X: Width direction of conveying pipe passage Y: Height direction of the transport pipe

Claims

[Claim 1] In a paper sheet transport device that transports paper sheets by the action of an air flow, a junction portion is provided in the conveying pipe to allow the airflow from the auxiliary blower to join into the conveying pipe; the junction portion has an inlet for the air flow from the auxiliary blower, and a plate-shaped shutter that normally closes the inlet and opens when the air flow from the auxiliary blower is received, The shutter is supported on a rotary shaft at the upstream side in the transport direction, and rotates around the rotary shaft so that the tip side advances into the transport pipe to open, and the inclination angle is regulated to the limit of opening so that the tip side is downstream in the transport direction from the rotary shaft, and the transport pipe is not blocked when opened to the limit. A paper sheet transport device characterized by the above.

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