Media delivery device

Abstract

To provide a medium delivery device that is convenient for an operator.SOLUTION: A medium delivery device 100 includes a bankbook cassette 131 as a plurality of storage units for storing media, a carrier 124 for delivering the media from the storage units and taking the media therein, and a control unit 128. Each of the storage units has a press plate 132 for pressing the media onto the carrier 124 side by means of an elastic force. The carrier 124 has a delivery roller 4 and moving means for moving the delivery roller 4 in a direction to push the media in against the elastic force. The control unit 128 has information on a reference position that serves as a reference for the delivery roller 4 when delivering the media and information on an adjustment position that serves as a reference for the location adjustment of the delivery roller. The control unit 128 calculates a corrective value for each storage unit through a positional adjustment operation based on the adjustment position and calculates the delivery position of the delivery roller 4 for each of the storage units at the time of delivery on the basis of the reference position and the corrective value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium feeding device.

Background Art

[0002] In financial institutions and the like, a passbook issuing device is installed. For example, when a customer newly opens an account at a bank or the like, or when the issued passbook has been used up, a new passbook is issued using this passbook issuing device. There is, for example, a passbook issuing device having a structure shown in Patent Document 1. The passbook issuing device shown in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of storage units for storing a large number of passbooks and certificates, and a feeding roller for feeding out passbooks from the storage units inside. The feeding roller swings so as to approach the storage unit and presses against the passbook inside the storage unit. Then, the passbook is fed out by rotating the feeding roller in the pressed state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, in the passbook issuing device having the structure described in Patent Document 1, since the pressing force on the passbook changes depending on the position of the feeding roller, if the pressing force is too weak, the passbook cannot be fed out, and if the pressing force is too strong, a plurality of passbooks may be fed out simultaneously. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to adjust the position of the feeding roller at the time of pressing against the passbook for each device in consideration of dimensional variations in manufacturing and wear of members due to use.

[0005] Conventionally, this adjustment has been performed using a dedicated jig, so there has been a problem that the adjustment cannot be performed without having the jig. For example, when this adjustment is required during maintenance work at a financial institution or the like, it is necessary to return to the maintenance base to pick up the jig, resulting in a problem of reduced efficiency of the maintenance work. In addition, it is troublesome to carry the jig for all maintenance work, which is not desirable for the workers performing the maintenance work.

[0006] Note that this problem occurs not only in the passbook issuing device but also in the case of feeding out a medium other than a passbook by pressing it with a feeding roller.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a medium feeding device that is convenient for workers.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a medium feeding device according to an aspect of the present invention is a medium feeding device that feeds out a stored medium, and includes a plurality of storage units that are provided side by side and store the medium, a carrier that is movable in the side-by-side direction, moves to each of the storage units, feeds out the medium from the storage unit, and takes it into the inside, and a control unit. Each of the storage units has a press plate that presses the medium toward the carrier by an elastic force. The carrier has a feeding roller that rotates while being in pressure contact with the medium in the storage unit to feed out the medium, and a moving means that moves the feeding roller in a direction of pushing the medium against the elastic force. The control unit has information on a reference position that serves as a reference for the feeding roller during feeding, and information on an adjustment position that serves as a reference for position adjustment of the feeding roller, calculates a correction value for each storage unit by a position adjustment operation based on the adjustment position, and calculates the feeding position of the feeding roller for each storage unit based on the reference position and the correction value during feeding. wherein the reference position is an ideal position in design, and is a position where the feeding roller is pushed in by a predetermined pushing amount in the direction of the press plate from the position where the feeding roller starts to contact the medium, the adjustment position is a position in design and is the position where the feeding roller starts to contact the medium, and the correction value is a variation value adjusted with respect to the position in design It is characterized by the above.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a medium feeding device that is convenient for an operator.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Each drawing only schematically shows the present invention to such an extent that it can be sufficiently understood. Therefore, the present invention is not limited only to the illustrated examples. In addition, in the drawings to be referred to, the dimensions of the members constituting the present invention may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. In each drawing, common components and similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their overlapping explanations are omitted.

[0012] <Regarding the Configuration of the Medium Feeding Device According to the Embodiment> With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the configuration of a medium feeding device 100 according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the internal structure of the medium feeding device 100. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the internal structure of a carrier 124 included in the medium feeding device 100. In the description of the media feeding device 100, "up and down", "front and back", and "left and right" follow the arrows in FIG. 1. This direction is defined for convenience of explanation and does not limit the present invention. In this embodiment, the media feeding device 100 is described assuming a passbook and certificate issuing device. The media handled by the media feeding device 100 shown in FIG. 1 mainly include passbooks and certificates.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the media feeding device 100 mainly includes a media feeding unit 121 disposed on the lower side of the device, an inserter unit 122 disposed on the front side of the upper part of the device, a printing unit 123 disposed on the rear side of the upper part of the device, a touch display 127 installed on the upper surface of the device, and a control unit 128.

[0014] The media feeding unit 121 is a part that stores the media and feeds the stored media to the upper part of the device. The inserter unit 122 is a part that conveys the media fed from the media feeding unit 121 to the outside. The printing unit 123 is a part that performs printing on the media and turns the pages of the passbook. The touch display 127 is a part that performs status display and accepts input of information. Note that the touch display 127 is an example of a "display unit" and an "operation unit". The control unit 128 is a part that controls the operation of the media feeding device 100 (including the media feeding unit 121).

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the media feeding unit 121 is provided with a carrier 124 for conveying the media, passbook cassettes 131A to 131J, and a certificate separation unit 126. The passbook cassettes 131A to 131J are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. The passbook cassettes 131A to 131J have the same structure, and when explaining them without distinguishing the passbook cassettes 131A to 131J, they may be simply referred to as "passbook cassette 131". Note that the passbook cassettes 131A to 131J are examples of "storage units" for storing the media.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the passbook cassette 131 is provided with a press plate 132 for pushing the passbook T set inside it toward the carrier 124 side. The press plate 132 is constantly pressed toward the carrier 124 side by the elastic force of a spring (not shown). At a position facing the press plate 132 of the passbook cassette 131, an inclined portion 133 (see Fig. 2) is provided, and the passbook T is sandwiched between the press plate 132 and the inclined portion 133 to hold the passbook T. The passbooks T are arranged in the passbook cassette 131 with the bound portions facing upward. As shown in Fig. 2, when no passbook T is set in the passbook cassette 131, the inclined portion 133 serves as a stopper for the press plate 132 and restricts the movement of the press plate 132.

[0017] The carrier 124 moves up and down within the range indicated by reference numeral 125 by rails, an actuator, and a drive mechanism (not shown) installed in the vertical direction. The carrier 124 moves inside the media feeding unit 121 while storing the media, and conveys the media to the inserter unit 122 at the upper part of the apparatus. The media feeding unit 121 is provided with the same number of brackets 151 as the passbook cassettes 131 at a portion facing the carrier 124. The bracket 151 is a portion where the pin 5 provided on the carrier 124 catches.

[0018] Referring to Fig. 2, the internal structure of the carrier 124 will be described. The carrier 124 is movable in the juxtaposed direction (vertical direction) in which the passbook cassettes 131A to 131J are arranged, moves to each passbook cassette 131, and feeds out the media from the passbook cassette 131 and takes it in. The carrier 124 has a shaft 2, an arm 3, a feeding roller 4, and a pin 5.

[0019] The shaft 2 is located at the central portion of the carrier 124 when viewed from the side, and is arranged in the left-right direction. The shaft 2 is connected to an actuator (drive unit) (not shown), and changes the angles in the α1 and α2 directions by the driving force of the actuator. A detector 6 is fixed to the shaft 2, and is arranged so as to be able to block the optical axis 7a of a photo interrupter 7 fixed to a stationary portion (for example, a housing) of the carrier 124. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, when the feeding roller 4 is located on the front side of the shaft 2, the detector 6 blocks the optical axis 7a, and when the shaft 2 rotates clockwise (in the α2 direction) on the paper surface from this state and the feeding roller 4 comes below the shaft 2, the detector 6 is configured not to block the optical axis 7a. Thus, the rotation angle of the shaft 2 can be detected by the detector 6 and the photo interrupter 7. Note that the shaft 2, the arm 3, and the actuator connected to the shaft 2 are examples of the “moving means” of the feeding roller 4.

[0020] One end of the arm 3 (which may be referred to as the “base end”) is fixed to the shaft 2, and a feeding roller 4 is provided at the other end (which may be referred to as the “tip end”). The arm 3 swings about the shaft 2 when the shaft 2 is driven (moves in the α1 and α2 directions in FIG. 2). In other words, the arm 3 swings so that the feeding roller 4 contacts the passbook cassette 131 arranged front and back. By moving the arm 3 in the α1 direction, the feeding roller 4 presses against the passbook T (see FIG. 1) stored in the front passbook cassette 131. Further, by moving the arm 3 in the α2 direction, the feeding roller 4 presses against the passbook T (see FIG. 1) stored in the rear passbook cassette 131.

[0021] The feeding roller 4 is a rotating body that rotates about a rotating shaft 4a arranged in the left-right direction. The feeding roller 4 presses against the passbook T stored in the passbook cassette 131, and the passbook T is drawn into the carrier 124 by rotating while in the pressed state.

[0022] Pin 5 is a member used for positioning the carrier 124 in the vertical direction. The pin 5 is arranged in the front-rear direction of Fig. 2 and is connected to the arm 3 by a link (not shown). The pin 5 slides in the front-rear direction (the β1 and β2 directions in Fig. 2) in accordance with the swing of the arm 3. For example, when the feeding roller 4 moves forward (in the α1 direction), the pin 5 slides backward (in the β2 direction), and the rear end portion 5b of the pin 5 protrudes onto the rear bracket 151. Also, when the feeding roller 4 moves backward (in the α2 direction), the pin 5 slides forward (in the β1 direction), and the front end portion 5a of the pin 5 protrudes onto the front bracket 151. When the pin 5 protrudes onto the bracket 151, the downward movement of the carrier 124 is restricted. Specifically, the vertical position is determined by the carrier 124 being caught by the bracket 151 due to its own weight via the pin 5.

[0023] The control unit 128 shown in Fig. 2 controls the operation of the media feeding device 100 (including the media feeding unit 121). The control unit 128 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, etc., and realizes the functions necessary for the operation of the media feeding device 100 by executing the program stored in the memory.

[0024] The control unit 128 has a reference rotation angle A of the shaft 2 (which may be referred to as the "reference position A") when feeding out the passbook T, a correction value B for the rotation angle A (reference position A), and a rotation angle C (which may be referred to as the "adjustment position C") used to calculate the correction value B. The reference position A and the adjustment position C are fixed values and are stored in the control unit 128 in advance. The reference position A is, for example, when based on a design drawing, the ideal position of the payout roller 4 for feeding out the passbook T (the position where the payout roller 4 pushes the press plate 132 in slightly). The adjustment position C is, for example, when based on a design drawing, the position where the payout roller 4 and the press plate 132 are in slight contact. The adjustment position C is the reference position for the position adjustment operation described later. On the other hand, the correction value B is a variable value. For example, an initial value is set during the manufacture of the medium feeding device 100 and is updated by an operator performing maintenance work or the like by performing the position adjustment operation described later. The correction value B is a value set for each of the passbook cassettes 131A to 131J and becomes a value that reflects dimensional variations in manufacturing and wear of components due to use. When the control unit 128 feeds out the passbook T, it drives the actuator based on the sum of the reference position A and the correction value B. That is, the actual payout position D of the payout roller 4 during payout is determined based on the reference position A and the correction value B. Note that the reference position A and the adjustment position C may be either a common value for a plurality of passbook cassettes 131 (including all passbook cassettes 131) or a unique value for each of the passbook cassettes 131A to 131J.

[0025] <Regarding the operation of the medium feeding device according to the embodiment> With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the operation of the medium feeding device 100 will be described. The operations of the medium feeding device 100 described here include an "initial operation", a "position adjustment operation of the payout roller", and a "passbook payout operation". FIG. 3 is an example of a screen in the position adjustment operation of the payout roller.

[0026] (Initial operation) When the media feeding device 100 is activated, an initial operation is performed. The initial operation is the home position operation of the feeding roller 4 and is an operation that is completed only by the components within the carrier 124. Assume that, for example, the detector 6 is blocking the optical axis 7a at the start of the initial operation (see Fig. 2). In this case, the control unit 128 rotates the shaft 2 clockwise (in the α2 direction in Fig. 2) by an actuator (not shown), sets the position at the time when the optical axis 7a is no longer blocked as the origin, and stores it in the control unit 128. Then, in order to move the pin 5 to above the rear bracket 151, the control unit 128 rotates the shaft 2 counterclockwise (in the α1 direction in Fig. 2) from the origin to a preset home position. During this operation, the carrier 124 is position-controlled by an actuator (not shown) in a hovering state slightly above the position where the pin 5 catches on the bracket 151 by its own weight. After the feeding roller 4 moves to the home position, the driving of the actuator is stopped, the carrier 124 drops by its own weight, the pin 5 catches on the rear bracket 151 and stops, and the initial operation is completed.

[0027] (Position adjustment operation of the feeding roller) The position adjustment operation of the feeding roller 4 is performed after the initial operation is completed and with all the passbooks T removed from the passbook cassette 131. The position adjustment operation of the feeding roller 4 is performed for each passbook cassette 131 and is repeated, for example, the number of times equal to the number of passbook cassettes 131.

[0028] First, the control unit 128 rotates the shaft 2 from the home position to the adjustment position C. At this time, for example, "0 (zero)" is set as the correction value B. Next, the control unit 128 displays a confirmation screen 200 (see FIG. 3) on the touch display 127 to prompt the confirmation of whether the feeding roller 4 and the press plate 132 are in contact. The confirmation screen 200 has a contact button 201 selected when the feeding roller 4 and the press plate 132 are in contact, and a non-contact button 202 selected when they are not in contact. The operator checks whether the feeding roller 4 and the press plate 132 are in contact according to the confirmation screen 200. The confirmation method is to manually move the press plate 132 forward (to the back side of the passbook cassette 131), then release the hand from the press plate 132, and check the behavior of the feeding roller 4 at the moment when the press plate 132 contacts the feeding roller 4 to determine the presence or absence of contact.

[0029] If they are in contact, it can be visually confirmed that the feeding roller 4 is pushed by the press plate 132 and rotates. If they are not in contact, it can be visually confirmed that the feeding roller 4 does not rotate at all. By this method, the operator determines the presence or absence of contact. If they are in contact, the operator selects the contact button 201 and inputs "Yes", and if they are not in contact, the operator selects the non-contact button 202 and inputs "No" from the confirmation screen 200.

[0030] When "Yes" is input when the display of "Are you in contact?" first appears after starting the position adjustment, the correction value B is changed by a predetermined amount so that the feeding roller 4 moves away from the press plate 132, and the shaft 2 is rotated clockwise (in the α2 direction of FIG. 2). The confirmation screen 200 shown in FIG. 3 is displayed again on the touch display 127, and the operator re-determines the presence or absence of contact and inputs "Yes" or "No" to the touch display 127. The above operation is repeated until "No" is input. When "No" is input, the correction value B at the previous confirmation becomes the position where the feeding roller 4 starts to contact the press plate 132, so the previous value is set for the correction value B and the adjustment is completed.

[0031] When "No" is input when starting the position adjustment, the correction value B is changed by a predetermined amount so that the feeding roller 4 approaches the press plate 132, and the shaft 2 is rotated counterclockwise (in the α1 direction in FIG. 2). The above operation is repeated until the operator inputs "Yes". When "Yes" is input, since the current correction value B is the position where the feeding roller 4 and the press plate 132 start to contact, unlike the case where "Yes" is input for the first time, the adjustment is completed as it is (that is, the value of this position adjustment operation becomes the correction value B).

[0032] All the position adjustment operations described so far are executed for all the passbook cassettes 131A to 131J, and the calculated correction value B for each of the passbook cassettes 131A to 131J is stored in the control unit 128. Thereby, it becomes possible to specify an appropriate feeding position considering dimensional variations in manufacturing and wear of members due to use for each of the passbook cassettes 131A to 131J.

[0033] (Passbook feeding operation) When an instruction is issued from the upper - level application to feed out the passbook T, the control unit 128 moves the carrier 124 to the position of the designated passbook cassette 131 and moves the feeding roller 4 to the feeding position D (that is, the sum of the reference position A and the correction value B). Then, the feeding roller 4 is pressed against the passbook T and rotated to feed out the passbook T and take it into the carrier 124. The carrier 124 delivers the passbook T to the inserter unit 22, and processing such as printing is performed by the printing unit 123.

[0034] As described above, according to the media feeding device 100 according to the present embodiment, the actual feeding position D of the feeding roller 4 when the passbook T is fed is determined based on the reference position A and the correction value B. Since the feeding position D based on the reference position A and the correction value B reflects dimensional variations in manufacturing and wear of members due to use, as shown in FIG. 4, the press plate 132 is slightly pushed in to generate a frictional force between the feeding roller 4 and the passbook T (in FIG. 4, the pushing amount is denoted by the symbol H). Then, the calculation of the correction value B used to specify the feeding position D is performed by determining whether the feeding roller 4 and the press plate 132 are in contact or not using the adjustment position C. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the position of the feeding roller 4 without using a dedicated jig, and it is possible to immediately respond even if an urgent position adjustment occurs at a local place such as a financial institution. In addition, since it is possible to suppress an operator from erroneously inputting an excessive correction value B during adjustment, it is possible to prevent parts from being damaged.

[0035] [Comparative Example] As a comparative example, with reference to FIG. 5, the setting of the conventional correction value B using a jig will be described. The correction value B can be set to an arbitrary value by an interface (not shown), but an operator who adjusts the position of the feeding roller 4 sets the correction value B by visually checking the positional relationship between the feeding roller 4 and the jig 300. The position of the jig 300 is determined by inserting holes formed in the jig 300 into the positioning pin 134 of the passbook cassette 131 and the positioning pin 135 of the passbook cassette 131 disposed thereon. The operator set the correction value B by visually checking the position where the feeding roller 4 hits the inclined portion 301 provided on the jig 300. If a large value is set for the correction value B due to an input error during this operation, the feeding roller 4 will deeply indent into the jig 300, and there will be a problem that the feeding roller 4 may be damaged or the drive mechanism of the feeding roller 4 may be damaged.

[0036] As described above, each embodiment of the present invention has been explained. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be implemented without changing the gist of the claims. For example, in the embodiment, it has been described as an apparatus for handling a passbook. However, as long as the apparatus has a plurality of storage units for media such as paper sheets and the separation unit is independent of the storage unit, it can be applied to any apparatus for handling media. Also, some of the components described in the embodiment may be combined / omitted.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0037] 2-axis (moving means) 3-arm (moving means) 4-feeding roller 5-pin 6-detector 7-photointerrupter 100-media feeding apparatus 121-media feeding unit 122-inserter unit 123-printing unit 124-carrier 126-certificate separation unit 127-touch display (display unit, operation unit) 128-control unit 131A~131J, 131-passbook cassette (storage unit) 132-press plate 133-inclined portion 151-bracket T-passbook (media) 200-confirmation screen

Claims

1. A medium feeding device for feeding out a medium to be stored, provided with a plurality of storage parts arranged side by side for storing the medium, a carrier that is movable in the side-by-side direction, moves to each of the storage parts, feeds out the medium from the storage part, and takes it into the inside, and a control unit, each of the storage parts has a press plate that presses the medium against the carrier by an elastic force, the carrier has a feeding roller that rotates while being in pressure contact with the medium in the storage part to feed out the medium, and a moving means that moves the feeding roller in a direction to press the medium against the elastic force, the control unit has information on a reference position that is a reference for the feeding roller during feeding, and information on an adjustment position that is a reference for position adjustment of the feeding roller, calculates a correction value for each storage part by a position adjustment operation based on the adjustment position, and calculates the feeding position of the feeding roller for each storage part based on the reference position and the correction value during feeding. The reference position is an ideal position in design, and is a position where the feeding roller is pushed in by a predetermined pushing amount in the direction of the press plate from the position where the feeding roller starts to contact the medium. The adjustment position is a position in design, and is a position where the feeding roller starts to contact the medium. The correction value is a variation value adjusted with respect to the position in design. A medium feeding device characterized by the above.

2. The control unit executes the position adjustment operation in a state where the medium is not stored in the storage part. In the position adjustment operation, when the feeding roller is moved to the adjustment position and the press plate and the feeding roller are in contact, a confirmation screen having a contact state input unit selected by the operator and a non-contact state input unit selected by the operator when the press plate and the feeding roller are not in contact is displayed on the display unit. When the contact state input unit is selected, the correction value is changed by a predetermined amount so that the feeding roller moves away from the press plate, and when the non-contact state input unit is selected, the correction value is changed by a predetermined amount so that the feeding roller approaches the press plate. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The control unit executes the position adjustment operation in a state where the medium is not stored in the storage unit. In the position adjustment operation, a confirmation screen for confirming whether the press plate and the feeding roller are in contact with each other is displayed on the display unit with the feeding roller moved to the adjustment position, and the correction value is adjusted based on the confirmation result input by the operator. The operation unit further includes a contact button selected by the operator when the press plate and the feeding roller are in contact, and a non-contact button selected by the operator when the press plate and the feeding roller are not in contact. When the contact button is selected, the control unit changes the correction value by a predetermined amount so that the feeding roller moves away from the press plate, and when the non-contact button is selected, the control unit changes the correction value by a predetermined amount so that the feeding roller approaches the press plate. The medium feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that.

4. The control unit repeatedly executes the position adjustment operation using the confirmation screen, and when the state changes from a state where the press plate and the feeding roller are in contact to a non-contact state, determines the correction value at the previous position adjustment operation as the official value and completes the position adjustment operation. Also, when the state changes from a non-contact state to a contact state between the press plate and the feeding roller, determines the correction value at the current position adjustment operation as the official value and completes the position adjustment operation. The medium feeding device according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. The predetermined pushing amount is the amount of pushing the feeding roller to a position where a frictional force is generated between the medium and the feeding roller. The medium feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the above.

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