Transport flow amplification device

Abstract

To provide a transfer flow amplifying device which amplifies transfer flow without causing a pressure difference which hinders stable transfer of bank bills in a transfer pipe and prevents deterioration of transfer efficiency of the bank bills.SOLUTION: A suction overlapping region 94b and an ejection overlapping region 95b are provided at an amplification pipe 9 so that a downstream part of a suction part 94 which suctions transfer flow with reduced transfer torque and an upstream part of an ejection part 95 which ejects airflow with high transfer torque to a transfer passage 21 are overlapped. First and second short wall part side guide ribs 917, 918 guide transfer air ejected from a first ejection port 951 of the ejection overlapping region 95b so as to prevent the transfer air from being suctioned into the suction overlapping region 94b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention is applied to a paper sheet conveying device that conveys paper sheets with the paper surface arranged parallel to the conveying direction from upstream to downstream in a conveying pipe in which a conveying fluid flows from upstream to downstream, and relates to a conveying fluid amplification device that amplifies the conveying fluid so as to increase the conveying torque applied to the paper sheets by the conveying flow.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when conveying paper sheets such as thin plastic or paper cards and banknotes, a paper sheet conveying device that sandwiches and feeds the paper sheets using a belt or a roller is known and has also spread in the market. For example, in a game arcade where gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines are installed, a game medium lending device or the like is provided adjacent to the gaming machine, and when conveying to a banknote safe part or the like having a function of a paper sheet collecting device without stocking banknotes in the game medium lending device, a paper sheet conveying device is used.

[0003] In such a paper sheet conveying device, since the paper sheets (for example, banknotes) are conveyed using a mechanism that sandwiches them with a belt or a roller, there has been a problem that banknote jams often occur at the transfer part of the belt or the roller. In order to eliminate the banknote jam, the player playing the game on the gaming machine has to be interrupted, the defective part in the game island has to be identified, and the jammed banknote has to be removed, which causes inconvenience to the customers visiting the store and also increases the burden on the game store staff.

[0004] In recent years, there has been proposed a paper sheet conveying device that generates an air flow for conveyance inside a conveying pipe and conveys banknotes riding on the air flow. If banknotes are conveyed by an air flow, since mechanisms such as belts and rollers are not used, there is no risk of banknotes getting jammed in the mechanism part. As a paper sheet conveying device using air conveyance, there has been proposed one that smoothes the conveyance of banknotes by deforming the rear end portion of the banknote into an L-shape, an arc shape, a cylindrical shape, or a zigzag shape and applying the wind pressure of the air flow to the deformed portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, instead of directly conveying paper sheets by an air flow, there has also been proposed a technique in which paper sheets are pushed and moved from behind by a conveyance assisting body that moves from upstream to downstream by an air flow to convey the paper sheets, and the conveyance assisting body and the paper sheets are separated at the end of the conveying pipe (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0005] In such a paper sheet conveying device, since the paper sheets are conveyed by an air flow generated by sending air from the most upstream and drawing in air at the most downstream, in a long-distance conveying path or a vertically ascending conveying path, etc., there may be a case where the conveying torque of the paper sheets by the conveying flow is not sufficiently maintained throughout the flow path. Therefore, a device has been devised to amplify the conveying flow in the middle of the conveying path where the conveying torque of the conveying flow is assumed to be reduced so that the paper sheets can be conveyed to the downstream.

[0006] In the paper sheet conveying device described in Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a technique of providing a booster (conveying flow amplification device) at an appropriate position that drives a compressor when necessary to blow high-speed compressed air from the ejection holes of the nozzles into the air duct to increase the flow velocity of the air flow. It is described that if the booster described in this Patent Document 1 is used, the flow velocity of the air flow whose flow velocity has been reduced due to the pipeline resistance can be increased, so that the paper sheets can be conveyed smoothly.

[0007] In addition, in the paper sheet conveying device described in Patent Document 2, a first auxiliary flow generating device is provided on the forward path side of the turning portion that folds back in a U shape at the ends of the forward and return paths by the conveying pipe, and a second auxiliary flow generating device is provided on the return path side. The first auxiliary flow generating device and the second auxiliary flow generating device are used to perform a suction auxiliary operation and a push auxiliary operation. The suction auxiliary operation is to control the shutter portion on the side of the first auxiliary flow generating device to be in a closed state and the shutter portion on the side of the second auxiliary flow generating device to be in an open state, so as to suck out the air in the conveying pipe from the hole for air suction opened on the return path side of the turning portion, and move the banknote and the conveying auxiliary body to the return path side of the turning portion. The push auxiliary operation is a control that starts before the conveying auxiliary body and the banknote pass the first auxiliary flow generating device and reach the second auxiliary flow generating device. Specifically, by controlling the shutter portion on the side of the first auxiliary flow generating device to be in an open state and the shutter portion on the side of the second auxiliary flow generating device to be in a closed state, air is blown out from the air intake hole opened on the forward path side of the turning portion toward the return path side of the conveying pipe, and the banknote and the conveying auxiliary body are pushed out to the end of the return path.

[0008] In addition, a thin plate conveying device has been proposed in which a high-speed pressure fluid (for example, air) is blown out from a Coanda nozzle so that an airstream along a Coanda wall surface formed in the conveying direction of a thin plate (for example, an amorphous ribbon having a thickness of about 20 μm) flows (see, for example, Patent Document 3). The conveying device using the airstream along the surface is composed of a nozzle body that generates an airstream along the surface by the Coanda effect, and a blowing guide in which a blowing surface continuous with the downstream side of the Coanda wall surface formed on the nozzle body is formed. Since the nozzle body has no structure protruding upstream, a plurality of conveying devices can be continuously arranged from upstream to downstream to form a continuous flow path. By blowing out the airstream along the surface from each conveying device, even if the airstream from the upstream conveying device weakens, it can be amplified to an appropriate airstream by the downstream conveying device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0009]

Patent Document 1

[0010] However, as in the invention described in Patent Document 1, when compressed air is sent into the conveyance pipe by a booster, the amount of air in the conveyance pipe increases, resulting in an increase in the internal pressure, and the problem is that the pressure in the conveyance pipe cannot be kept uniform. If there is an imbalance in the pressure in the conveyance pipe, diffusion occurs to eliminate the pressure difference, so compressed air also diffuses upstream of the booster, making the air flow for conveyance unstable and adversely affecting the stable conveyance of paper sheets.

[0011] Also, as in the invention described in Patent Document 2, in order to switch between the suction assist operation and the push assist operation, the shutter part for opening and closing the hole for air suction and the shutter part for opening and closing the hole for air intake must be switched simultaneously, which makes the control complicated. Moreover, since the part where air is sent by the first auxiliary flow generator and the part where air is sucked by the second auxiliary flow generator must be provided at a certain distance apart, the problem is that the entire device becomes large-sized.

[0012] Furthermore, in the method described in Patent Document 2, depending on the operation switching of the shutter part, either the first auxiliary flow generator or the second auxiliary flow generator acts on the air flow in the conveyance pipe. Therefore, not only inside the turn part but also upstream and downstream thereof, the conveyance flow cannot be kept constant. That is, depending on the transfer position of the conveyance assist body and the banknote which are the conveyance targets, the state of the shutter part is controlled, and unless it is switched from "the air flow for drawing in the conveyance assist body and the banknote" to "the air flow for pushing out the conveyance assist body and the banknote from behind", the conveyance assist body and the banknote cannot be conveyed to the end of the return path. Therefore, in the paper sheet conveyance device described in this Patent Document 2, a plurality of conveyance assist bodies and banknotes cannot be processed simultaneously in parallel, and the problem is that the conveyance efficiency becomes low.

[0013] Also, when using the wall flow due to the Coandă effect for transporting a thin plate as in the invention described in Patent Document 3, the wall flow blown out from the Coandă nozzle is minute, and it is difficult to stably transport the thin plate unless the surrounding air is entrained to form a laminar flow. Therefore, as a transport flow amplification device of a paper sheet transport device that transports paper sheets in a transport pipe having a highly sealed structure from the upstream end to the downstream end, the transport technology described in Patent Document 3 cannot be simply applied.

[0014] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a transport flow amplification device that can amplify the transport flow without generating a pressure difference in the transport pipe that hinders the stable transport of paper sheets and does not reduce the transport efficiency of paper sheets.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0015] In order to solve the above problems, it is applied to a paper sheet conveying device that conveys paper sheets with the paper surface arranged parallel to the conveying direction in a conveying pipe in which a conveying path for a conveying fluid flows from upstream to downstream, and is a conveying flow amplification device that amplifies the conveying flow so as to increase the conveying torque applied to the paper sheets by the conveying flow. The paper sheets have a rectangular shape including two conveying parallel sides arranged in a direction parallel to the conveying direction and two conveying orthogonal sides arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. Conveying flow suction means for sucking a part of the upstream conveying flow flowing from the upstream conveying path from suction parts respectively provided on two short wall parts facing the conveying parallel sides of the paper sheets, and conveying flow ejection means for ejecting a part of the downstream conveying flow flowing toward the downstream conveying path from ejection parts respectively provided on two long wall parts facing the paper surface of the paper sheets are provided. The conveying flow suction means sucks the conveying flow with reduced conveying torque, and the conveying flow ejection means ejects an air flow with high conveying torque into the conveying path. A suction overlap region provided on the downstream side in the suction part of the conveying flow suction means and an ejection overlap region provided on the upstream side in the ejection part of the conveying flow ejection means overlap in the conveying direction, and at least in the ejection overlap region, conveying fluid guiding means for suppressing the conveying fluid ejected from the ejection part from being sucked toward the suction overlap region is provided.

[0016] Also, in the above configuration, the conveying fluid guiding means may guide the conveying fluid flowing downstream along the long wall part toward the downstream part of the suction overlap region.

[0017] Also, in the above configuration, the conveying fluid guiding means may be a guiding protrusion protruding toward the conveying path side of the long wall part corresponding to the ejection overlap region.

Effects of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, by sucking a transport flow with reduced transport torque by a transport flow suction means and ejecting an air flow with high transport torque into a transport path by a transport flow ejection means, a pressure difference that hinders stable transport of paper sheets is not generated between the upstream side and the downstream side of the transport flow amplification device. Further, even when a plurality of paper sheets are being transported in a relatively close state within the transport path, the transport torque applied to each paper sheet can be increased, so that the transport efficiency of the paper sheets is not reduced. Furthermore, by causing the suction overlap region of the transport flow suction means and the ejection overlap region of the transport flow ejection means to overlap in the transport direction, a smooth transition can be made from the suction operation of the transport flow with reduced transport torque to the ejection operation of the transport flow with high transport torque. In addition, if transport fluid guiding means is provided in the ejection overlap region, the occurrence of a reverse flow in which the transport fluid ejected from the ejection portion is sucked toward the suction overlap region can be suppressed, and the transport of the paper sheets becomes even more stable.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

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Figure 14

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Next, based on the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of a paper sheet conveying device to which the conveying flow amplification device according to the present invention can be applied will be described. Note that the paper sheets to be conveyed include papers with shape retention such as banknotes and documents (excluding those without shape retention against the conveying flow like tissue paper), resin films (including plastic banknotes), thin cards, etc. In the following, it will be described as a banknote conveying device that conveys paper banknotes (rectangular banknotes composed of a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides). Also, as the conveying fluid, not only gas but also liquid can be used, but in the following banknote conveying device, air is used as the conveying fluid.

[0021] Prior to describing the embodiments of the present invention, based on FIGS. 1 to 10, a conveying flow amplification device which is a reference form will be described. Since this reference form uses an amplification tube having a structure different from the amplification tube used in the conveying flow amplification device of the present embodiment, it cannot exhibit the same effects as the present invention, but it has the same basic structure as the amplification tube in the conveying flow amplification device of the present embodiment.

[0022] The banknote conveying device 1 shown in FIGS. 1(A) and (B) is installed, for example, in a game parlor and can be used to collect banknotes PM inserted into a game medium lending device, a card selling device, etc. and gather them in one place. Various conveying tubes 2 (for example, a straight conveying tube 2a, a curved conveying tube 2b, a twisted tube, etc.) are connected to form a continuous conveying path 21 from the most upstream to the most downstream. This conveying path 21 is a U-shaped flow path whose upstream end and downstream end are adjacent (particularly, refer to FIG. 1(A)). Note that FIG. 1(B) is a view of the conveying path 21 on the downstream side of the curved conveying tube 2b seen from the side. Hereinafter, for convenience, the left side of the paper surface in the conveying direction in which the banknote PM is conveyed is called the left direction, the right side of the paper surface is called the right direction, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the paper surface of the banknote PM is called the up-down direction.

[0023] When applying the bill transport device 1 to an island facility in a game parlor where a large number of gaming machines are arranged in a row, if a transport flow generator 31 and a bill collection device 32 are provided in an island safe 3 provided at one end of the island facility, the transport flow generator 31 will be at the uppermost stream of the transport path 21, and the bill collection device 32 will be at the lowermost stream of the transport path 21. And the bill PM fed into the transport path 21 from a bill feeding device 41 as a paper sheet feeding device appropriately connected in the middle of the transport pipe 2 becomes the transport target and is transported downstream. That is, in the transport pipe 2 in which a transport path 21 is formed to guide the transport flow TF (the flow of transport air in the transport direction) generated by the transport flow generator 31 downstream, the bill PM as a paper sheet is transported from upstream to downstream, and it becomes a bill transport device 1 that collects the bill PM with a bill collection device 32 provided at the lowermost stream. The bill PM transported in the transport pipe 2 has a long rectangular shape with first and second transport parallel sides PM1a, PM1b that are long sides parallel to the transport direction and first and second transport orthogonal sides PM2a, PM2b that are short sides orthogonal to the transport direction, as shown in FIG. 1(B).

[0024] Note that the transport flow generator 31 discharges transport air from the uppermost stream part of the transport pipe 2 to generate the transport flow TF, and by sucking the transport air that has reached the bill collection device 32, it circulates the transport air inside the transport pipe 2 and the island safe 3. Also, a bill discriminator 42 is provided on the upstream side of the bill feeding device 41, and the bill discriminator 42 determines the authenticity of the bill PM inserted into a game medium lending device, a card vending device, etc. Only the bill PM determined to be appropriate by the bill discriminator 42 is introduced into the bill feeding device 41, sent from the bill feeding device 41 into the transport pipe 2, transported to the lowermost stream of the transport path 21 by the transport flow TF, and collected by the bill collection device 32.

[0025] Ideally, in the perfectly sealed conveyance path 21, the law of constant pressure basically holds, and a conveyance flow TF should be generated in which the pressure and velocity in the conveyance pipe 2 are constant. However, in reality, it is difficult to make the inside of the conveyance pipe 2 a completely sealed space. When constructing the banknote conveyance device 1, sealing treatment is performed at the connection parts of each conveyance pipe 2 and the banknote feeding device 41, but it is difficult to completely prevent leakage of the conveyance flow TF, and the pressure and velocity of the conveyance flow TF tend to decrease toward the downstream side of the conveyance path 21 with a long flow path length. Also, in a curved flow path using a curved conveyance pipe 2b like the banknote conveyance device 1, or in a twisted flow path using a twisted pipe where the first and second conveyance orthogonal sides PM2a and PM2b of the banknote PM rotate 90° from vertical to horizontal, differences in the pressure and velocity of the conveyance flow TF occur due to differences in the flow resistance according to the flow path shape. Further, when there is a vertical flow path for conveying the banknote PM upward from a low position to a high position, a stronger conveying force is required compared to the case of conveying the banknote PM in the horizontal direction. Therefore, when the flow path length of the conveyance path 21 is long, or when there are curved flow paths, twisted flow paths, or vertical flow paths, it is necessary to amplify the conveyance flow TF at an appropriate timing to increase the conveyance torque applied to the banknote PM.

[0026] The above-described banknote conveyance device 1 has a long-distance flow path and includes a curved flow path where the conveyance direction changes 180° midway. Although a conveyance flow TF capable of providing sufficient conveyance torque for conveying the banknote PM flows at the most upstream end where the conveyance air is discharged and the most downstream end where the conveyance air is sucked, there may be cases where sufficient conveyance torque for conveying the banknote PM cannot be provided midway. In particular, on the downstream side of the curved conveyance pipe 2b, the pressure and velocity of the conveyance flow TF may decay, posing a risk of hindering the stable conveyance of the banknote PM. Therefore, a conveyance flow amplification device 5 is provided at an appropriate location on the downstream side of the curved conveyance pipe 2b.

[0027] The transport flow amplification device 5 according to this reference embodiment is a device that amplifies the transport flow TF so as to increase the transport torque applied to the banknote PM by the transport flow TF. For example, it is composed of an amplification pipe 6 connected between the upstream transport pipe 2 and the downstream transport pipe 2, a blower 7, a suction pipe 81, a discharge pipe 82, and the like. The amplification pipe 6 includes a banknote carrier 61 whose inner cavity functions as a part of the transport path 21, a first suction body 62a and a second suction body 62b provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the banknote carrier 61 respectively, and a first ejection body 63a and a second ejection body 63b provided on the left and right side surfaces of the banknote carrier 61 respectively. In the transport flow amplification device 5 of this reference embodiment, a single blower 7 performs all the suction operations from the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b and the discharge operations to the first and second ejection bodies 63a and 63b. However, a suction device or a blower may be used to perform the suction operation and the discharge operation individually.

[0028] The first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b of the amplification pipe 6 function as transport path suction means by being connected to the suction port of the blower 7 via the suction pipe 81, and suck a part of the upstream transport flow flowing from the upstream transport path 21 from the suction portions facing the first and second transport parallel sides PM1a and PM1b of the banknote PM. Further, the first and second ejection bodies 63a and 63b of the amplification pipe 6 function as transport flow ejection means by being connected to the discharge port of the blower 7 via the discharge pipe 82, and eject a part of the downstream transport flow flowing toward the downstream transport path 21 from the ejection portion facing the paper surface of the banknote PM. In this way, if the upstream transport flow with reduced transport torque is sucked by the transport flow suction means and the air flow with high transport torque is ejected into the transport path 21 as a part of the upstream transport flow by the transport flow ejection means, a pressure difference that hinders the stable transport of the banknote PM is not generated between the upstream side and the downstream side of the amplification pipe 6. Further, even when a plurality of banknotes PM are being transported in a relatively close state in the transport path 21, the transport torque applied to each banknote PM can be increased, so the transport efficiency of the banknote PM is not reduced.

[0029] It is important that the conveying flow amplifier 5 sucks in conveying air from the upper and lower parts facing the first and second conveying parallel sides PM1a, PM1b of the banknote PM conveyed in the conveying path 21, and ejects the conveying air toward the left and right side surfaces of the banknote PM. For comparison with the conveying flow amplifier 5 of this reference embodiment, the operating state of the first comparison conveying flow amplifier 105 provided in the banknote conveying device 101 is shown in FIG. 2.

[0030] The first comparison carrier flow amplifier 105 sucks in carrier air from the bill transport section 1061 of the amplifier tube 106 connected to the upstream transport tube 102 and the downstream transport tube 102 through suction pipes 1062a and 1062b, and ejects the carrier air through discharge pipes 1063a and 1063b connected to appropriate positions downstream. Blowers 107a and 107b are used to suck in and eject the carrier air. In the first comparison carrier flow amplifier 105 having such a structure, as shown in FIG. 2(A), it is expected to suck in a part of the upstream carrier flow TF-U flowing from the upstream transport path 1021, and eject the amplified carrier air flow as a part of the downstream carrier flow TF-D.

[0031] However, in the structure of the first comparison carrier flow amplifier 105, the carrier air is sucked in almost evenly from the left and right of the banknote transport section 1061, so if the passing position of the banknote PM is shifted left or right from the center, there is a risk that the banknote PM will be caught in the suction flow of the suction pipes 1062a and 1062b and will stick to block the suction port. In addition, even if the outlet is provided downstream of the suction port, a part of the carrier air blown out from the discharge pipes 1063a and 1063b will not go downstream, but will go around to the upstream suction port and will be sucked in from the suction port, causing a backflow (see FIG. 2(B)). If an air flow in the opposite direction to the carrier flow TF occurs in the transport path 1021, the banknote PM will stagnate in the middle of the amplifier tube 106, hindering the stable transport of the banknote PM.

[0032] Thus, in the first comparative transport flow amplification device 105 having a structure that sucks the transport air inside the tube from the upstream side surface of the amplification tube 106 and ejects the transport air into the tube from the downstream side surface, it cannot be said that an effective amplification function can be exhibited. Therefore, contrary to the first comparative transport flow amplification device 105, FIG. 3 shows a banknote transport device 201 including a second comparative transport flow amplification device 205 that sucks the transport air inside the tube from the downstream side surface and ejects the transport air into the tube from the downstream side surface.

[0033] The second comparative transport flow amplification device 205 sucks the transport air in the transport path 2021 through the suction pipes 2062a and 2062b from the banknote transport section 2061 of the amplification tube 206 that connects the upstream transport tube 202 and the downstream transport tube 202, and ejects the transport air into the transport path 2021 through the discharge pipes 2063a and 2063b connected to appropriate positions upstream thereof. Blowers 207a and 207b are used for sucking and ejecting the transport air. In the second comparative transport flow amplification device 205 having such a structure, as shown in FIG. 3(A), an air flow with increased transport torque is ejected from the discharge pipes 2063a and 2063b and merged into the upstream transport flow TF-U flowing from the upstream transport path 2021, and a part of it is sucked from the downstream suction pipes 2062a and 2062b. Then, it is expected that the transport flow TF is amplified by becoming a downstream transport flow TF-D that sufficiently contains the air flow with high transport torque that reaches the downstream without being sucked from the suction pipes 2062a and 2062b.

[0034] However, in the structure of the second comparative transport flow amplification device 205, most of the transport air with high transport torque ejected from the discharge pipes 2063a and 2063b becomes a circulating flow that is sucked from the suction pipes 2062a and 2062b (see FIG. 3(B)). For this reason, the amplification effect by the second comparative transport flow amplification device 205 is almost non-existent or remains at a very small amount, and the transport torque of the downstream transport flow TF-D cannot be sufficiently increased.

[0035] Next, the conveyance flow amplification device 5 of the present reference embodiment that can eliminate the problems occurring in these first and second conveyance flow amplification devices 105 and 205 for comparison will be described. FIG. 4 is an overhead perspective view of the amplification tube 6 as seen from the upstream side, FIG. 5 is an overhead perspective view of the amplification tube 6 as seen from the downstream side, and FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view parallel to the conveyance direction of the amplification tube 6 (a sectional view taken along the arrow of line VI-VI in FIG. 4). The amplification tube 6 includes a banknote conveyance body 61 in which a banknote conveyance space portion 6a is formed inside, a first suction body 62a and a second suction body 62b in which a suction space portion 6b is formed inside, and a first ejection body 63a and a second ejection body 63b in which an ejection space portion 6c is formed inside.

[0036] The banknote conveyance body 61 is composed of a first long wall portion 611, a second long wall portion 612, a first short wall portion 613, and a second short wall portion 614 so that a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped banknote conveyance space portion 6a surrounded by four side walls and having an upstream end and a downstream end opened is formed. The first long wall portion 611 functions as a side wall portion facing one surface (for example, the left side in the conveyance direction) of the banknote PM. The second long wall portion 612 functions as a side wall portion facing the other surface (for example, the right side in the conveyance direction) of the banknote PM. The first short wall portion 613 functions as an upper wall portion facing the first conveyance parallel side PM1a of the banknote PM. The second short wall portion 614 functions as a lower wall portion facing the second conveyance parallel side PM1b of the banknote PM. Further, an upstream conveyance tube connection portion 615a is provided on the upstream side of the banknote conveyance body 61, and a downstream conveyance tube connection portion 615b is provided on the downstream side, and by connecting to the upstream conveyance tube 2 and the downstream conveyance tube 2, the banknote conveyance space portion 6a becomes a part of the conveyance path 21.

[0037] The first suction body 62a is composed of a first side wall portion 621, a second side wall portion 622, an upstream protruding wall portion 623, and a downstream protruding wall portion 624 such that a suction cavity 6b is formed where the upstream end is connected to the first short wall portion 613 of the banknote carrier 61 and communicates with the banknote conveyance cavity 6a, and the downstream end is open. The first side wall portion 621 is in the shape of a wall that extends upward from the first long wall portion 611 of the banknote carrier 61 and connects between the upstream protruding wall portion 623 and the downstream protruding wall portion 624. The second side wall portion 622 has a wall shape that is symmetrical to the first side wall portion 621 with respect to the left and right. The upstream protruding wall portion 623 has a wall shape presenting an inner wall surface 623a (see, for example, FIG. 6) that gradually increases the amount of protrusion upward and smoothly changes in a substantially horizontal direction from an appropriate upstream position (for example, the rear end position of the upstream conveyance pipe connection portion 615a) of the first short wall portion 613 of the banknote carrier 61. The downstream protruding wall portion 624 has a wall shape presenting an inner wall surface 624a (see, for example, FIG. 6) that gradually increases the amount of protrusion upward and smoothly changes in a substantially horizontal direction at a downstream position separated from the inner wall surface 623a of the upstream protruding wall portion 623 by the suction portion 64 (see, for example, FIG. 6). Further, a suction passage connection portion 625 is provided at the most downstream portion of the first suction body 62a. If a suction pipe 81 is connected via this suction passage connection portion 625, a suction passage to the blower 7 is formed.

[0038] The second suction body 62b is composed of a first side wall portion 621, a second side wall portion 622, an upstream protruding wall portion 623, and a downstream protruding wall portion 624 such that a suction cavity 6b is formed where the upstream end is connected to the second short wall portion 614 of the banknote carrier 61 and communicates with the banknote conveyance cavity 6a, and the downstream end is open. Since the second suction body 62b has a structure that is vertically symmetrical to the above-described first suction body 62a, a detailed structural description thereof is omitted.

[0039] The first ejection body 63a is composed of an upstream side wall portion 631, a downstream side wall portion 632, a first end wall portion 633, and a second end wall portion 634 such that an ejection cavity 6c with an open upstream end and a downstream end connected to the first side wall portion 621 of the banknote carrier 61 and communicating with the banknote conveyance cavity 6a is formed. The upstream side wall portion 631 is a vertical wall body shape that gradually approaches the first side wall portion 621 from upstream to downstream and is connected to the first side wall portion 621 at the upstream end of the ejection portion 65 (see, for example, FIG. 6). The downstream side wall portion 632 is located outside the upstream side wall portion 631, gradually approaches the first side wall portion 621 from upstream to downstream, and is a vertical wall body shape connected to the first side wall portion 621 at the downstream end of the ejection portion 65. The first end wall portion 633 is a wall body shape that extends the first short wall portion 613 of the banknote carrier 61 to the left side of the first long wall portion 611 and connects the upper ends of the upstream side wall portion 631 and the downstream side wall portion 632. The second end wall portion 634 is a wall body shape that extends the second short wall portion 614 of the banknote carrier 61 to the left side of the first long wall portion 611 and connects the lower ends of the upstream side wall portion 631 and the downstream side wall portion 632. Also, an ejection path connection portion 635 is provided at the most upstream portion of the first ejection body 63a. If the discharge pipe 82 is connected through this ejection path connection portion 635, an ejection path from the blower 7 is formed.

[0040] The second ejection body 63b is composed of an upstream side wall portion 631, a downstream side wall portion 632, a first end wall portion 633, and a second end wall portion 634 such that an ejection cavity 6c with an open upstream end and a downstream end connected to the second side wall portion 622 of the banknote carrier 61 and communicating with the banknote conveyance cavity 6a is formed. Since the second ejection body 63b has a structure symmetrical to the above-described first ejection body 63a, a detailed structural description is omitted.

[0041] The suction portion 64 in the amplification pipe 6 configured as described above sucks the conveying air from within the banknote conveyance cavity 6a through the most upstream first suction port 641, the second suction port 642 located downstream thereof, the third suction port 643 located downstream thereof, and the fourth suction port 644 located at the most downstream. These first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 may be formed as a structure of the banknote carrier 61 or the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b, but in this amplification pipe 6, they are formed by the suction guide member 66.

[0042] The detailed structure of the suction guide member 66 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7(A) is a perspective view of the suction guide member 66 as viewed from the side of the suction space 6b. FIG. 7(B) is a perspective view of the suction guide member 66 as viewed from the side of the banknote conveyance space 6a. The suction guide member 66 has substantially rectangular through-holes formed in a flat plate-shaped shielding base 661 as the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644, and is attached to the upper or lower portions of the first and second long wall portions 611 and 612 by a pair of left and right attachment pieces 662, 662.

[0043] By attaching the suction guide member 66, the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 formed in the suction portion 64 are configured such that the opening width in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction (left and right direction) becomes narrower and the opening area becomes smaller toward the downstream. That is, the left and right opening width of the most upstream first suction port 641 is the widest, the left and right opening width of the second suction port 642 located downstream thereof is slightly narrower, the left and right opening width of the third suction port 643 located further downstream is even narrower, and the left and right opening width of the fourth suction port 644 located at the most downstream is the narrowest (particularly, refer to FIG. 7(B)). In this way, the opening area of the most upstream first suction port 641 is the largest, the opening area of the second suction port 642 located downstream thereof is slightly smaller, the opening area of the third suction port 643 located further downstream is even smaller, and the opening area of the fourth suction port 644 located at the most downstream is the smallest.

[0044] In addition, since the opening widths in the same direction as the conveyance direction of the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 are formed to be substantially the same, the difference in the left and right opening widths of the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 results in a difference in the suction amount. Therefore, the suction amount sucked from the most upstream first suction port 641 into the suction space 6b is the largest, the suction amount sucked from the second suction port 642 located downstream thereof into the suction space 6b is slightly less, the suction amount sucked from the third suction port 643 located further downstream into the suction space 6b is even less, and the suction amount sucked from the fourth suction port 644 located at the most downstream into the suction space 6b is the smallest. That is, the suction portion 64 has a large suction amount on the upstream side and the suction amount decreases toward the downstream.

[0045] Here, a suction unit 64 that sucks conveyance air from within the banknote conveyance empty space 6a into the suction empty space 6b and a jetting unit 65 that jets conveyance air from the jetting empty space 6c into the banknote conveyance empty space 6a will be described. The suction unit 64 in the amplification tube 6 of this example is an area formed at a site where the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b are connected at the upper and lower portions of the banknote conveyance body 61. On the other hand, the jetting unit 65 in the amplification tube 6 of this example is an area formed at a site where the first and second jetting bodies 63a and 63b are connected at the left and right side portions of the banknote conveyance body 61. So to speak, the suction unit 64 is formed on a horizontal plane on the sides of the first and second short wall portions 613 and 614 of the banknote conveyance body 61, and the jetting unit 65 is formed on a vertical plane on the sides of the first and second long wall portions 611 and 612 of the banknote conveyance body 61, so the suction unit 64 on the horizontal plane and the jetting unit 65 on the vertical plane do not overlap. However, when viewed in a plane orthogonal to the conveyance direction, there is a range where only the suction unit 64 exists from the upstream to a certain portion, there is a range where the suction unit 64 and the jetting unit 65 exist simultaneously on the downstream side thereof, and there is a range where only the jetting unit 65 exists further downstream. Therefore, the suction unit 64 is divided into an upstream suction independent region 64a that does not overlap with the jetting unit 65 in the conveyance direction and a downstream suction overlap region 64b that overlaps with the jetting unit 65 in the conveyance direction. Similarly, the jetting unit 65 is divided into a downstream jetting independent region 65a that does not overlap with the suction unit 64 in the conveyance direction and an upstream jetting overlap region 65b that overlaps with the suction unit 64 in the conveyance direction. In the banknote conveyance empty space 6a in the range where the suction overlap region 64b and the jetting overlap region 65b overlap with respect to the conveyance direction, since the suction operation to the suction empty space 6b and the jetting operation from the jetting empty space 6c are performed simultaneously, consideration is necessary so that they do not affect each other and cause problems.

[0046] As described above, the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 of the suction unit 64 have a smaller opening area in the left-right direction as they are closer to the downstream side. Since the suction volume from the third and fourth suction ports 643 and 644 provided in the suction overlap region 64b to the suction space 6b can be kept low, it is possible to suppress the adverse effects on the ejection unit 65. On the other hand, since the opening areas of the first and second suction ports 641 and 642 provided in the suction independent region 64a are large, the conveying air in the banknote conveying space 6a can be sufficiently sucked into the suction space 6b. Therefore, even if the opening areas of the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 are formed to become narrower toward the downstream side, the suction unit 64 as a whole can exhibit a necessary and sufficient suction capacity.

[0047] Further, the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 of the suction unit 64 are partitioned and formed in a lattice shape by the first guide piece 663, the second guide piece 664, and the third guide piece 665. These first to third guide pieces 663 to 665 function as guide pieces for guiding the conveying air sucked from the first to fourth suction ports 641 to 644 in the suction direction.

[0048] The first guide piece 663 is a wing-shaped thin plate material provided at a portion partitioning the first suction port 641 and the second suction port 642, and extends into the suction space 6b substantially parallel to the suction direction along the inner wall surface 623a of the upstream protruding wall portion 623 and the inner wall surface 624a of the downstream protruding wall portion 624. The upstream guide surface 663a, which is the upstream side surface of the first guide piece 663, is a flat surface substantially parallel to the suction direction. On the other hand, the downstream guide surface 663b, which is the downstream side surface of the first guide piece 663, bulges once near the openings of the first and second suction ports 641 and 642 and is a bulging surface that intersects the upstream guide surface 663a at the extending side end. That is, the longitudinal section of the first guide piece 663 has a shape similar to the cross section of an aircraft wing (see FIG. 7(C) in particular), and functions to increase the suction efficiency of sucking the conveying air from the banknote conveying space 6a into the suction space 6b. Hereinafter, the guiding function of the first guide piece 663 will be described.

[0049] When the conveying flow amplification device 5 is operating, since the suction void portion 6b has a negative pressure lower than that of the banknote conveying void portion 6a, an air flow of the conveying air from the banknote conveying void portion 6a toward the suction void portion 6b is generated, and a part of the conveying air passing through the first suction port 641 and the second suction port 642 reaches the upstream guiding surface 663a or the downstream guiding surface 663b. The upstream guiding surface 663a, which is flat in the suction direction, generates a stable air flow that guides the conveying fluid in the suction direction. On the other hand, the downstream guiding surface 663b, which is a guiding curved surface that smoothly curves from the conveying direction into the suction direction within the suction void portion 6b, draws in the conveying air due to the Coandă effect and increases the velocity of the air flow, so the suction amount per unit time can be increased.

[0050] The second guiding piece 664 is a wing-shaped thin plate material provided at a portion partitioning the second suction port 642 and the third suction port 643, and includes an upstream guiding surface 664a and a downstream guiding surface 664b. The third guiding piece 665 is a wing-shaped thin plate material provided at a portion partitioning the third suction port 643 and the fourth suction port 644, and includes an upstream guiding surface 665a and a downstream guiding surface 665b. These second and third guiding pieces 664 and 665 also exhibit the same guiding function as the first guiding piece 663. Although no guiding piece is provided upstream of the first suction port 641, an upstream guiding surface 661a is provided at the upstream end of the shielding base 661 so as to form a guiding curved surface that smoothly continues without a step to the inner wall surface 623a of the upstream protruding wall portion 623.

[0051] Also, by providing the first to third guiding pieces 663 to 665, it is possible to prevent the banknote passing through the banknote conveying void portion 6a from being drawn into the suction void portion 6b. Originally, the influence of the suction flow generated by sucking the conveying air in the banknote conveying void portion 6a from the upper and lower portions where the suction portion 64 is provided on the banknote PM being conveyed is negligible. However, since the banknote PM with a crease in the longitudinal direction is at risk of being drawn into the suction portion 64 under the influence of the vertical suction flow, if it is made into a lattice structure by the first to third guiding pieces 663 to 665, it is effective in preventing the drawing in of the banknote PM.

[0052] Next, the ejection part 65 in the amplification tube 6 will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, a first ejection port 651 is provided in the ejection overlap region 65b of the ejection part 65, and an upper-stage second ejection port 652a, a lower-stage second ejection port 652b, an upper-stage third ejection port 653a, and a lower-stage third ejection port 653b are provided in the ejection independent region 65a. Note that the number of ejection ports provided in the ejection independent region 65a and the ejection overlap region 65b is not particularly limited, and more ejection ports may be dispersedly arranged. For example, by providing a plurality of ejection ports in the ejection overlap region 65b, more ejection flows may be ejected from the ejection overlap region 65b.

[0053] The first ejection port 651 provided in the ejection overlap region 65b is an opening provided at the vertical center of the first and second long wall parts 611 and 612 so as to be approximately equally spaced from the suction overlap region 64b on the first suction body 62a side and the suction overlap region 64b on the second suction body 62b side. As described above, in addition to weakening the suction flow in the suction overlap region 64b, by providing the first ejection port 651 in the ejection overlap region 65b at the center separated from the suction overlap regions 64b on both sides, it is possible to effectively suppress the ejection flow from the first ejection port 651 from being sucked into the suction part 64 and becoming a circulation flow.

[0054] On the other hand, an upper-stage second ejection port 652a is provided at the upper part on the upstream side of the ejection independent region 65a, and a lower-stage second ejection port 652b is provided below it. An upper-stage third ejection port 653a is provided appropriately downstream of the upper-stage second ejection port 652a, and a lower-stage third ejection port 653b is provided below it. The ejection ports provided in the ejection independent region 65a may be provided so as to be closer to the upper side (the first suction body 62a side) or the lower side (the second suction body 62b side). The possibility that the ejection flow from the ejection ports is sucked into the suction part 64 and becomes a circulation flow is extremely low.

[0055] The first ejection port 651 provided in the ejection part 65, the upper-stage second ejection port 652a, the lower-stage second ejection port 652b, the upper-stage third ejection port 653a, and the lower-stage third ejection port 653b are all formed with flow paths so as to communicate with the ejection space part 6c (particularly, refer to FIGS. 8(A) and (B)). The vertical first partition body 636 arranged along the downstream inner surface of the downstream side wall part 632 of the first and second ejection bodies 63a and 63b is a wall body that partitions the flow path leading to the upper-stage third ejection port 653a and the lower-stage third ejection port 653b from the flow path leading to the first ejection port 651, the upper-stage second ejection port 652a, and the lower-stage second ejection port 652b. Further, the upper-stage second partition body 637a, which is an upper wall body that horizontally partitions the space between the upstream side wall part 631 and the first partition body 636, partitions the flow path leading to the upper-stage second ejection port 652a from the flow path leading to the first ejection port 651. Also, the lower-stage second partition body 637b, which is a lower wall body that horizontally partitions the space between the upstream side wall part 631 and the first partition body 636, partitions the flow path leading to the first ejection port 651 from the flow path leading to the lower-stage second ejection port 652b. Thus, the high-pressure and high-speed air flow supplied from the blower 7 branches within the ejection space part 6c and is ejected from each ejection port into the banknote conveyance space part 6a.

[0056] The inner wall surface 611a of the first long wall portion 611 and the inner wall surface 612a of the second long wall portion 612 are flat surfaces that are substantially parallel to the conveying direction, and they may remain flat from the upstream end to the downstream end as they are. However, in the amplification tube 6 of this configuration example, a protruding shape is adopted that partially narrows the left - right width of the banknote conveying space 6a (conveying path 21). Specifically, a protruding wall portion 616 having a curved surface 616a with a curved surface shape in which the protruding amount smoothly increases from upstream to downstream is provided on the downstream side of the first ejection port 651 in the first and second long wall portions 611 and 612 (particularly, refer to FIG. 9(A)). The downstream end surface 616b, which is the downstream end of the protruding wall portion 616, is a flat surface that is recessed so as to be flush with the inner wall surfaces 611a and 612a of the first and second long wall portions 611 and 612, and the upper - stage second ejection port 652a and the lower - stage second ejection port 652b open on this downstream end surface 616b (particularly, refer to FIG. 9(B)). The most downstream upper - stage third ejection port 653a and lower - stage third ejection port 653b open on the inner wall surfaces 611a and 612a of the first and second long wall portions 611 and 612, and a guiding structure for blowing out toward the downstream at an appropriate angle is provided inside the walls of the first and second long wall portions 611 and 612.

[0057] By providing the protruding wall portion 616 at the portion where the ejection overlap region 65b faces in the first long wall portion 611 and the second long wall portion 612, a constriction structure BN is formed that narrows the lateral width of the conveyance path 21 (the left - right width of the banknote conveyance empty portion 6a) and increases the flow resistance of the conveyance flow TF. As described above, since the conveyance air is sucked from the suction portions 64 above and below the banknote conveyance empty portion 6a, the in - path pressure decreases at the portion reaching the ejection overlap region 65b. However, if a constriction structure BN is provided in the ejection overlap region 65b to increase the flow resistance, the in - path pressure can be increased (for example, refer to FIG. 10). In the ejection overlap region 65b, the in - path pressure increases towards the downstream, so it is possible to prevent an extreme in - path pressure difference from occurring at the boundary between the ejection independent region 65a and the ejection overlap region 65b. If the in - path of the ejection overlap region 65b has a significantly negative pressure compared to the in - path of the ejection independent region 65a, the conveyance air ejected from the upper - stage second ejection port 652a and the lower - stage second ejection port 652b in the ejection independent region 65a is likely to be sucked by the upstream suction portion 64, and there is a risk of a reverse flow from downstream to upstream. Therefore, by providing the constriction structure BN in the ejection overlap region 65b and deliberately increasing the flow resistance, even if the ejection portion 65 is provided so as to overlap the downstream side of the suction portion 64, it is possible to prevent the reverse flow phenomenon in which the ejection flow from the ejection independent region 65a is sucked by the upstream suction portion 64, which is effective for the stable conveyance of the banknote PM.

[0058] Also, when the in - path pressure in the constriction structure BN becomes higher than the in - path pressure of the ejection independent region 65a located downstream, since the speed of the conveyance flow TF passing through the flow path of the constriction structure BN increases to reduce the pressure difference, it can contribute to increasing the conveyance torque applied to the banknote PM. The degree to which the flow path width is narrowed by this constriction structure BN can be arbitrarily set according to the protruding amount of the protruding wall portion 616, so it may be appropriately set in consideration of various requirements such as the suction state by the suction portion 64 and the ejection state by the ejection portion 65. Further, if the upper - stage second ejection port 652a and the lower - stage second ejection port 652b are provided on the downstream end face 616b which is the downstream end of the constriction structure BN, it is possible to effectively prevent a situation where the banknote PM passing through the constriction structure BN sticks to the inner wall surface of the first long wall portion 611 or the second long wall portion 612 and stagnates.

[0059] Also, if only the constriction structure BN is formed in the ejection overlap region 65b, one surface of the protruding wall portion 616 may be a flat inclined surface where the protruding amount is proportional to the distance in the conveyance direction without making the curved surface 616a. However, in the amplification tube 6 of this configuration example, the curved surface 616a of the protruding wall portion 616 is formed so that the inner surface of the first partition body 636 is smoothly connected to the curved surface leading to the first ejection port 651. When the curved surface 616a is provided on the protruding wall portion 616, the ejection flow that has passed through the first ejection port 651 smoothly flows downstream along the curved surface 616a of the protruding wall portion 616 within the flow path of the constriction structure BN due to the Coandă effect and passes through the constriction structure BN, so a smooth flow that passes from the ejection overlap region 65b to the ejection independent region 65a occurs. That is, by providing the curved surface 616a that causes the Coandă effect in the ejection flow on the protruding wall portion 616, it is possible to suppress the upstream conveyance flow TF from being blocked by the constriction structure BN and diffusing, and effectively avoid the problem that the banknote PM decelerates or stagnates when passing through the constriction structure BN.

[0060] Even in the conveyance flow amplification device 5 in the above-described reference embodiment, it is possible to amplify the conveyance flow TF so as to increase the conveyance torque applied to the banknote PM. However, according to the conveyance flow amplification device of the present embodiment, the conveyance flow TF can be amplified more effectively. Shown in FIG. 11 are an amplification tube 9 applied to the conveyance flow amplification device of the present embodiment, a suction guide member 83 connected to the first and second suction bodies 92a and 92b of the amplification tube 9, and an ejection guide member 84 connected to the first and second ejection bodies 93a and 93b of the amplification tube 9.

[0061] The amplification tube 9 has the same basic structure as the amplification tube 6 described above, and includes a banknote conveyance body 91 in which the inner hollow portion functions as a part of the conveyance path 21, a first suction body 92a and a second suction body 92b provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the banknote conveyance body 91, respectively, and a first ejection body 93a and a second ejection body 93b provided on the left and right side surfaces of the banknote conveyance body 91, respectively.

[0062] The suction guide member 83 is a general-purpose structure connected to the suction pipe 81 of the amplification pipe 9. For example, it includes a first suction direction conversion part 831a, a second suction direction conversion part 831b, a first suction confluence part 832a, a second suction confluence part 832b, and a suction confluence connection part 833. The first suction direction conversion part 831a is connected to the first suction body 92a of the amplification pipe 9 and has a function of changing the suction direction, for example, to the side where the second ejection body 93b is provided. The second suction direction conversion part 831b is connected to the second suction body 92b of the amplification pipe 9 and has a function of changing the suction direction in the same direction as the first suction direction conversion part 831a. The first suction confluence part 832a constitutes a flow path continuous with the downstream end of the first suction direction conversion part 831a. Also, the second suction confluence part 832b constitutes a flow path continuous with the downstream end of the second suction direction conversion part 831b. Then, the flow paths intersect at the downstream end of the first suction confluence part 832a and the downstream end of the second suction confluence part 832b and are continuous with the suction confluence connection part 833 as a single flow path. The suction pipe 81 is connected via this suction confluence connection part 833, and the suction operation by the blower 7 is performed.

[0063] The ejection guide member 84 is a general-purpose structure connected between the amplification pipe 9 and the discharge pipe 82. For example, it includes a first ejection direction conversion part 841a, a second ejection direction conversion part 841b, a first ejection branch part 842a, a second ejection branch part 842b, and an ejection branch connection part 843. The first ejection direction conversion part 841a is connected to the first ejection body 93a of the amplification pipe 9 and has a function of changing the ejection direction, for example, to the side where the first suction body 92a is provided. The second ejection direction conversion part 841b is connected to the second ejection body 93b of the amplification pipe 9 and has a function of changing the ejection direction in the same direction as the first ejection direction conversion part 841a. The first ejection branch part 842a constitutes a flow path continuous with the downstream end of the first ejection direction conversion part 841a. Also, the second ejection branch part 842b constitutes a flow path continuous with the downstream end of the second ejection direction conversion part 841b. Then, the flow paths intersect at the upstream end of the first ejection branch part 842a and the upstream end of the second ejection branch part 842b and are continuous with the ejection branch connection part 843. The discharge pipe 82 is connected via this ejection branch connection part 843, and the discharge operation by the blower 7 is performed.

[0064] By using these suction guide members 83 and ejection guide members 84, the working efficiency is better than directly connecting the suction pipe 81 and the discharge pipe 82 to the first and second suction bodies 92a, 92b and the first and second ejection bodies 93a, 93b of the amplification pipe 9. Also, by generalizing the suction guide members 83 and ejection guide members 84, they can be used not only for the amplification pipe 9 but also for connection to the aforementioned amplification pipe 6. However, in order to use the suction guide members 83 and ejection guide members 84 generally, it is necessary to design such that the relative positions of the first and second suction bodies 92a, 92b in the amplification pipe 9 are the same as the relative positions of the first and second suction bodies 62a, 62b in the amplification pipe 6.

[0065] Here, one of the differences between the amplification pipe 9 and the amplification pipe 6 will be described based on FIG. 12.

[0066] In at least the upstream portion of the suction void 9b formed inside the first and second suction bodies 92a, 92b of the amplification pipe 9, an upstream suction path is formed that draws the conveyance air in the banknote conveyance void 9a in the suction direction VD9 via the suction portion 94. Note that the downstream portion of the suction void 9b is a downstream suction path whose suction direction changes in the conveyance direction TD so as to be connectable to the first and second suction direction conversion portions 831a, 831b of the suction guide member 83. Also, the suction direction VD9 in the amplification pipe 9 is determined to be substantially parallel to the inner wall surfaces 923a of the upstream protruding wall portion 923 and the inner wall surfaces 924a of the downstream protruding wall portion 924 of the first and second suction bodies 92a, 92b. Similarly, the suction direction VD6 in the amplification pipe 6 is determined to be substantially parallel to the inner wall surfaces 623a of the upstream protruding wall portion 623 and the inner wall surfaces 624a of the downstream protruding wall portion 624 of the first and second suction bodies 62a, 62b.

[0067] In the amplification tube 9, the suction introduction angle α9, which is the acute angle formed by the suction direction VD9 and the transport direction TD, is approximately 25 [°]. On the other hand, in the amplification tube 6, the suction introduction angle α6 is approximately 35 [°]. When drawing the conveying air into the suction directions VD9 and VD6 from the banknote conveying empty portion 9a through which the conveying air mainly flows in the transport direction TD, the downward flow direction of the conveying air changes according to the suction direction, thereby reducing the component parallel to the transport direction TD. When the angle is large (close to 90 [°]) like the suction introduction angle α6, the transport torque directed toward the transport direction TD cannot be applied to the banknote PM, and there is a concern that the banknote PM becomes difficult to flow downstream of the suction portion 94. In contrast, when the angle is small (close to 0 [°]) like the suction introduction angle α9, a larger transport torque directed toward the transport direction TD can be applied to the banknote PM, and the banknote PM can flow stably even downstream of the suction portion 94.

[0068] Therefore, in the present embodiment, the suction introduction angle α9 of the amplification tube 9 is limited to be equal to or less than a predetermined smooth introduction angle that can apply sufficient torque for stable conveyance of the banknote PM. As the smooth introduction angle, for example, 30 [°] or less is desirable. Even when the suction introduction angle α6 is 35 [°] (exceeding 30 [°]) like the amplification tube 6, most of the banknotes PM flow through without staying in the banknote conveying empty portion 9a, so there is no problem in practical use. However, when the suction introduction angle α6 is set to 35 [°] like the amplification tube 6, when inserting a soiled banknote with a strong curl or a crease, a phenomenon that the speed drops in the banknote conveying empty portion 9a was observed. Therefore, the smooth introduction angle for realizing more stable conveyance is 33 [°] or less, more preferably 30 [°] or less. This smooth introduction angle is not a fixed value applicable to all transport flow amplification devices, but a value that changes according to the structure of the banknote conveying empty portion 9a and the ejection empty portion 9c in the amplification tube 9, the suction force and discharge force of the blower 7, etc. As an example, for a transport flow amplification device applicable to a banknote transport device having a pipeline structure that can apply a stable transport torque to the banknote PM by the transport air in the transport tube 2 with Japanese banknotes as the transport target, it is effective to limit the suction introduction angle to 33 [°] or less of the smooth introduction angle.

[0069] Also, in order to achieve the suction introduction angle α9 as in the amplification tube 9, the angles at which the upstream protruding wall portion 923 and the upstream side of the downstream protruding wall portion 924 protrude, such as the first and second suction bodies 92a and 92b, must be reduced. For example, if the angles at which the upstream protruding wall portion 623 and the downstream protruding wall portion 624 of the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b in the amplification tube 6 protrude are directly changed from 35 [°] to 25 [°], the separation distance β6 from the inner wall surface 623a of the upstream protruding wall portion 623 to the inner wall surface 624a of the downstream protruding wall portion 624 will be reduced. That is, when the separation distance β6 in the suction cavity 6b is reduced, the flow path cross-sectional area orthogonal to the suction direction VD6 decreases, so there is a concern that the suction amount from the suction portion 64 may decrease or the suction speed may increase abnormally, inhibiting the stable conveyance of the banknote PM. In addition, when using the above-described general-purpose suction guide member 83, it is necessary to adjust so as not to change the relative positions of the suction path connection portions 625 in the first and second suction bodies 62a and 62b.

[0070] Therefore, the amplification tube 9 of this configuration example is provided with an upstream end portion 94u at a position where the conveyance direction length of the suction portion 94 is appropriately shifted upstream, so that the separation distance β9 from the inner wall surface 923a of the upstream protruding wall portion 923 to the inner wall surface 924a of the downstream protruding wall portion 924 is adjusted to be approximately the same as the separation distance β6 in the amplification tube 6. As shown in FIG. 12, if the upstream end portion 94u of the suction portion 94 of the amplification tube 9 is set upstream by a distance L from the upstream end portion 64u of the suction portion 64 of the amplification tube 6, the suction amount of the suction cavity 9b can be increased to be approximately the same as the suction amount of the suction cavity 6b in the amplification tube 6. For example, a reference suction amount is defined as a reference amount that is necessary and sufficient for the suction amount of the upstream suction path that increases or decreases according to the suction introduction angle. When the suction amount of the upstream suction path in the amplification tube 6 with the suction introduction angle α6 is set to the reference suction amount, the suction portion 94 of the amplification tube 9 with the suction introduction angle α9 only needs to have the upstream end portion 94u located upstream by a distance L from the upstream end portion 64u of the amplification tube 6, so that the upstream suction path of the suction cavity 9b satisfies the reference suction amount. Also, although the suction path connection portion 925 of the first and second suction bodies 92a, 92b in the amplification tube 9 protrudes slightly downstream compared to the suction path connection portion 625 of the amplification tube 6, the relative positions of the suction path connection portions 925 of the first and second suction bodies 92a, 92b in the amplification tube 9 can maintain the same state as the relative positions of the suction path connection portion 625 in the amplification tube 6.

[0071] The internal structure of the amplification tube 9 configured as described above is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. The suction portion 94 is divided into an upstream suction independent region 94a that does not overlap with the ejection portion 95 in the conveyance direction and a downstream suction overlap region 94b that overlaps with the ejection portion 95 in the conveyance direction. Similarly, the ejection portion 95 is divided into a downstream ejection independent region 95a that does not overlap with the suction portion 94 in the conveyance direction and an upstream ejection overlap region 95b that overlaps with the suction portion 94 in the conveyance direction. In the banknote conveyance cavity 9a in the range where the suction overlap region 94b and the ejection overlap region 95b overlap with respect to the conveyance direction, the suction operation to the suction cavity 9b and the ejection operation from the ejection cavity 9c are performed simultaneously.

[0072] The suction part 94 is formed integrally with, for example, the first short wall part 913 and the second short wall part 914 of the banknote carrier 91. That is, the suction part 94 is constituted by a substantially rectangular first suction port 941 opened at the most downstream side of the first and second short wall parts 913 and 914, a second suction port 942 located downstream thereof, a third suction port 943 located downstream thereof, a fourth suction port 944 located downstream thereof, and a fifth suction port 945 located at the most downstream. Further, the first to fifth suction ports 941 to 945 of the suction part 94 are partitioned in a lattice pattern by a first guide piece 926a, a second guide piece 926b, a third guide piece 926c, and a fourth guide piece 926d. These first to fourth guide pieces 926a to 926d function as guide pieces for guiding the conveying air sucked from the first to fifth suction ports 941 to 945 in the suction direction. Note that the first to third suction ports 941 to 943 formed in the suction part 94 have the same opening width in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction (left - right direction), but the left - right direction opening width of the fourth suction port 944 downstream thereof is slightly narrower, and the left - right direction opening width of the fifth suction port 945 located at the most downstream is the narrowest. By adjusting in this way, in the suction independent region 94a of the suction part 94, the suction amount is large, and in the suction overlap region 94b, the suction amount is small, and the possibility of sucking the conveying air ejected from the ejection overlap region 95b can be reduced.

[0073] The ejection unit 95 includes a first ejection port 951 in the ejection overlap region 95b, and an upper-stage second ejection port 952a, a lower-stage second ejection port 952b, an upper-stage third ejection port 953a, and a lower-stage third ejection port 953b in the ejection independent region 95a. The first ejection port 951 provided in the ejection overlap region 95b is an opening provided at the vertical center of the first and second long wall portions 911 and 912 so as to be substantially equally spaced from the suction overlap region 94b on the first suction body 92a side and the suction overlap region 94b on the second suction body 92b side. An upper-stage second ejection port 952a is provided at the upper part on the upstream side of the ejection independent region 95a, and a lower-stage second ejection port 952b is provided below it. An upper-stage third ejection port 953a is provided appropriately downstream of the upper-stage second ejection port 952a, and a lower-stage third ejection port 953b is provided below it. Further, the inner wall surfaces of the first long wall portion 911 and the second long wall portion 912 are flat surfaces substantially parallel to the conveyance direction, but a protruding wall portion 916 having a curved surface shape 916a with a smoothly increasing protruding amount from upstream to downstream is provided on the downstream side of the first ejection port 951 (see FIG. 14 in particular). The downstream end surface 916b, which is the downstream end of the protruding wall portion 916, is a flat surface that is recessed so as to be flush with the inner wall surfaces of the first and second long wall portions 911 and 912, and a constriction structure similar to the amplification tube 6 described above is formed.

[0074] One of the differences between the amplification tube 9 applied to the conveyance flow amplification device of the present embodiment and the aforementioned amplification tube 6 is that first short wall portion side guide ribs 917 and second short wall portion side guide ribs 918 as induction protrusions are provided on the inner wall surfaces of the first and second long wall portions 911 and 912 (the wall surfaces facing the banknote conveyance space 9a), respectively.

[0075] The first short wall side guide rib 917 and the second short wall side guide rib 918 are protruding bodies with a triangular cross-section that protrude toward the inner wall surface side of the first and second long wall parts 911 and 912. For example, they are provided from an appropriately upstream side to the ejection overlap region 95b over the ejection overlap region 95b. Also, the first short wall side guide rib 917 and the second short wall side guide rib 918 are symmetric in the vertical direction. The first short wall side guide rib 917 is provided closer to the upper side (the first short wall part 913 side), and the second short wall side guide rib 918 is provided closer to the lower side (the second short wall part 914 side). Although not shown in the figure, the arrangement of the first and second short wall side guide ribs 917 and 918 provided on the second long wall part 912 is mirror-symmetric with respect to the arrangement of the first and second short wall side guide ribs 917 and 918 on the first long wall part 911.

[0076] These first and second short wall side guide ribs 917 and 918 function as conveying fluid guiding means for suppressing the conveyance air ejected from the first ejection port 951 provided in the ejection overlap region 95b from being sucked toward the suction overlap region 94b. Also, the first and second short wall side guide ribs 917 and 918 as the conveying fluid guiding means guide the conveying air flowing downstream along the first and second long wall parts 911 and 912 toward the downstream part of the suction overlap region 94b (for example, the fifth suction port 945 located at the most downstream). Note that the guiding protrusion functioning as the conveying fluid guiding means is not limited to the rib (protrusion structure) protruding toward the inner surface side of the first and second long wall parts 911 and 912, and can also be configured by a plate wall-like guiding wall protruding toward the inner surface side of the first and second long wall parts 911 and 912. Also, the guiding protrusion is not limited to being integrally formed with the first and second long wall parts 911 and 912, and may be configured by a separate member and attached to the inner surface side of the first and second long wall parts 911 and 912.

[0077] The first short wall portion side guide rib 917 includes a first guide portion 917a arranged substantially parallel to the conveyance direction of the banknote PM, and a second guide portion 917b connected to the downstream end of the first guide portion 917a and arranged in an inclined shape toward the first short wall portion 913 side. At least the upstream side of the second guide portion 917b is located within the ejection overlap region 95b. Since the second guide portion 917b is arranged to coincide with the upstream end of the first ejection port 951, the ejection direction of the conveyance air ejected from the first ejection port 951 is necessarily affected by the second guide portion 917b. Also, although the downstream portion of the second guide portion 917b reaches the curved surface 916a of the protruding wall portion 916, since the protruding amount of the second guide portion 917b is not changed, the portion where the protruding amount of the curved surface 916a is equal to the protruding amount of the second guide portion 917b becomes the downstream end of the second guide portion 917b.

[0078] The first guide portion 917a includes a suction side guide surface 917a1 on the first short wall portion 913 side and a conveyance direction guide surface 917a2 on the second short wall portion side guide rib 918 side, and branches the conveyance air flowing along the inner wall surface of the first long wall portion 911 to the first short wall portion 913 side and the second short wall portion side guide rib 918 side and guides it in the conveyance direction. An upstream tapered portion 917a3 with an increasing protruding amount gradually from the upstream end to the downstream is provided at the upstream portion of the first guide portion 917a to prevent the downward flow potential of the conveyance air from decreasing at the upstream end of the first short wall portion side guide rib 917. The second guide portion 917b includes a suction direction guide surface 917b1 on the first short wall portion 913 side and a jet direction guide surface 917b2 on the second short wall portion side guide rib 918 side. The suction direction guide surface 917b1 guides the conveyance air guided downstream by the suction side guide surface 917a1 to the first short wall portion 913 side, thereby promoting suction into the suction empty portion 9b from the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b (see FIG. 14). The jet direction guide surface 917b2 further guides the conveyance air guided downstream by the conveyance direction guide surface 917a2 downstream, and restricts the diffused flow such that the conveyance air ejected from the first ejection port 951 heads toward the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b, and guides it to head toward the ejection independent region 95a (see FIG. 14).

[0079] On one hand, the second short wall side guiding rib 918 includes a first guiding portion 918a arranged substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the banknote PM, and a second guiding portion 918b connected to the downstream end of the first guiding portion 918a and arranged in an inclined shape toward the second short wall portion 914 side. At least the upstream side of the second guiding portion 918b is located within the ejection overlap region 95b. Since the second guiding portion 918b is arranged to coincide with the downstream end of the first ejection port 951, the ejection direction of the conveying air ejected from the first ejection port 951 is necessarily affected by the second guiding portion 918b. Also, although the downstream portion of the second guiding portion 918b reaches the curved surface 916a of the protruding wall portion 916, since the protruding amount of the second guiding portion 918b is not changed, the portion where the protruding amount of the curved surface 916a is equal to the protruding amount of the second guiding portion 918b becomes the downstream end of the second guiding portion 918b.

[0080] The first guiding portion 918a includes a suction side guiding surface 918a1 on the second short wall portion 914 side and a conveying direction guiding surface 918a2 on the first short wall portion side guiding rib 917 side, and branches the conveying air flowing along the inner wall surface of the first long wall portion 911 to the second short wall portion 914 side and the first short wall portion side guiding rib 917 side and guides it in the conveying direction. An upstream tapered portion 918a3 with an increasing protruding amount gradually from the upstream end to the downstream is provided at the upstream portion of the second guiding portion 918b to prevent the flowing-down potential of the conveying air from decreasing at the upstream end of the second short wall side guiding rib 918. The second guiding portion 918b includes a suction direction guiding surface 918b1 on the second short wall portion 914 side and a jet direction guiding surface 918b2 on the first short wall portion side guiding rib 917 side. The suction direction guiding surface 918b1 guides the conveying air guided downstream by the suction side guiding surface 918a1 to the second short wall portion 914 side, thereby promoting its suction from the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b into the suction empty portion 9b (see FIG. 14). The jet direction guiding surface 918b2 further guides the conveying air guided downstream by the conveying direction guiding surface 918a2 downstream, and restricts the reverse flow such that the conveying air ejected from the first ejection port 951 heads toward the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b, and guides it to the jet independent region 95a (see FIG. 14).

[0081] Thus, by providing the guiding protrusions (the first and second short-wall portion side guiding ribs 917 and 918) that function as the conveying fluid guiding means, it is possible to suppress the reverse flow phenomenon in which the conveying air ejected from the first ejection port 951 in the ejection overlap region 95b is sucked toward the suction overlap region 94b, contributing to the stable conveyance of the banknote PM. In addition, the guiding protrusions (the first and second short-wall portion side guiding ribs 917 and 918) as the conveying fluid guiding means can guide the conveying air flowing downstream along the first and second long-wall portions 911 and 9125 toward the downstream portion of the suction overlap region 94b, so there is also an effect of enhancing the suction efficiency in the suction overlap region 94b. Note that, to cause the first and second short-wall portion side guiding ribs 917 and 918 to function as the conveying fluid guiding means, it is sufficient to provide the second guiding portions 917b and 918b in the ejection overlap region 95b where the conveying air is ejected from the first ejection port 951. However, by guiding the conveying air to the upstream ends of the second guiding portions 917b and 918b by the first guiding portions 917a and 918a, it becomes possible to smoothly guide the conveying air by the second guiding portions 917b and 918b, and the function as the conveying fluid guiding means can be further enhanced.

[0082] As described above, the conveying flow amplification device according to the present invention has been described based on the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and encompasses all the conveying flow amplification devices that can be realized without changing the configuration described in the claims within the scope of rights.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0083] 1 Banknote conveying device 2 Conveying pipe 21 Conveying path 5 Conveying flow amplification device 9 Amplifying pipe 917 First short-wall portion side guiding rib 918 Second short-wall portion side guiding rib 92a First suction body 92b Second suction body 93a First ejection body 93b Second ejection body 94 Suction portion 94b Suction overlap area 95 Ejection part 95b Ejection overlap area 7 Blower 81 Suction pipe 82 Discharge pipe PM Paper currency PM1a First conveyance parallel side PM1b Second conveyance parallel side PM2a First conveyance orthogonal side PM2b Second conveyance orthogonal side TF Conveyance flow

Claims

1. It is applied to a paper sheet conveying device that conveys paper sheets arranged with the paper surface parallel to the conveying direction in a conveying pipe in which a conveying path for a conveying fluid flowing from upstream to downstream is formed, and amplifies the conveying flow so as to increase the conveying torque applied to the paper sheets by the conveying flow. A conveying flow amplification device, comprising: The paper sheets have a rectangular shape including two conveying parallel sides arranged in a direction parallel to the conveying direction and two conveying orthogonal sides arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. Conveying flow suction means for sucking a part of the upstream conveying flow flowing from the upstream conveying path to two short wall portions facing the conveying parallel sides of the paper sheets respectively; Conveying flow ejection means for ejecting a part of the downstream conveying flow flowing toward the downstream conveying path from two long wall portions facing the paper surface of the paper sheets respectively; are provided, While sucking the conveying flow with reduced conveying torque by the conveying flow suction means, an air flow with high conveying torque is ejected into the conveying path by the conveying flow ejection means, A suction overlap region provided on the downstream side of the suction portion of the conveying flow suction means and an ejection overlap region provided on the upstream side of the ejection portion of the conveying flow ejection means overlap in the conveying direction, At least in the ejection overlap region, a conveying fluid guiding means for suppressing the conveying fluid ejected from the ejection portion from being sucked toward the suction overlap region is provided. The conveying flow amplification device is characterized by this.

2. The conveying fluid guiding means guides the conveying fluid flowing downstream along the long wall portion toward the downstream portion of the suction overlap region. The conveying flow amplification device according to Claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. The conveying fluid guiding means is a guiding protrusion protruding toward the conveying path side of the long wall portion corresponding to the ejection overlap region. The conveying flow amplification device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 is characterized by this.

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