Paper currency processing device

Abstract

To facilitate receipt of banknotes while preventing the banknotes from popping out.SOLUTION: A banknote processing device includes: a collection tray for collecting banknotes, which moves from the state of being stored inside a device to a first direction to be exposed outside the device; a banknote guide provided above the collection tray to guide the banknotes; and a banknote ejection control unit pivotably attached to an end of the banknote guide in the first direction to control the banknotes accumulated in the collection tray not to eject in the first direction. The edge in the first direction of the banknote ejection control unit and the edge in the first direction of the bottom of the collection tray are in a nested configuration overlapping in the direction of accumulation of the banknotes accumulated in the collection tray; and the edge of the banknote ejection control unit is pushed by the removed banknotes in a direction away from the edge of the collection tray when the banknotes are removed in the first direction from the collection tray exposed outside the device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a banknote processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as a change system used in cash registers such as POS (Point Of Sales) cash registers at checkout counters in retail stores such as supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, and large discount stores, a combination of a cash register and a coin changer that performs deposit and withdrawal processing of banknotes and coins has become widespread.

[0003] As a banknote processing apparatus incorporated in this coin changer, a banknote deposit / withdrawal machine, for example, has a deposit / withdrawal unit that exchanges banknotes with a user (cashier, customer, etc.), a transport unit that transports banknotes, a discrimination unit that discriminates the denomination and authenticity of the inserted banknotes, and a banknote storage for storing reusable banknotes for each denomination.

[0004] In addition, as this type of banknote deposit / withdrawal machine, there is one that extrudes a plurality of stacked withdrawal banknotes all at once (that is, in a bundle) forward from a withdrawal port provided in the front of the banknote deposit / withdrawal machine for the user to receive (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the method of extruding a plurality of withdrawal banknotes all at once from the withdrawal port, due to the momentum when extruding the withdrawal banknotes, the banknotes may jump out of the withdrawal port and troubles such as falling to the floor may occur.

[0007] Therefore, it is conceivable to stack the dispensed banknotes in a tray having a wall at the front end so that the dispensed banknotes do not pop out forward, and push this tray forward from the dispensing outlet so that the user can receive the dispensed banknotes stacked in the tray. However, with this method, although it is possible to prevent the dispensed banknotes from popping out, on the other hand, a new problem arises in that the wall at the front end of the tray becomes an obstacle and it becomes difficult for the user to receive the dispensed banknotes.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and intends to propose a banknote processing apparatus that prevents banknotes from popping out and facilitates the receipt of banknotes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to solve such problems, in the banknote processing apparatus of the present invention, there is a stacking tray for stacking banknotes that moves in a first direction from a state of being housed inside the apparatus and is exposed outside the apparatus, a banknote guide provided above the stacking tray for guiding the banknotes, and a banknote popping-out restricting portion that is rotatably attached to an end portion of the banknote guide in the first direction and restricts the banknotes stacked in the stacking tray from popping out in the first direction. An end portion of the banknote popping-out restricting portion in the first direction and an end portion of the bottom of the stacking tray in the first direction overlap in an overlapping shape in the stacking direction of the banknotes stacked in the stacking tray is are formed.

[0010] In this way, due to the overlapping shape formed by the end portion of the banknote popping-out restricting portion in the first direction and the end portion of the stacking tray in the first direction, it is possible to restrict the banknotes stacked in the stacking tray from popping out in the first direction. Also, when the banknote popping-out restricting portion rotates moves, the banknote popping-out restricting portion can be retracted so as not to interfere with the extraction of the banknotes.

Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a banknote processing apparatus that facilitates the receipt of banknotes while preventing the banknotes from protruding.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

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

[0014] [1. Configuration of Banknote Deposit and Withdrawal Machine] FIG. 1 shows the external configuration of the banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 1. This banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 1 is incorporated as a banknote unit into a change machine (not shown) installed at the cash desk of a retail store such as a supermarket, a convenience store, or a gas station. This banknote deposit and withdrawal machine 1 is connected to a register such as a POS register (not shown) and operates based on the control of the register.

[0015] In this banknote depositing and withdrawing machine 1, the side facing the user (such as a cashier or a customer) is defined as the front side, the opposite side as the rear side, and the upper, lower, left, and right sides as seen from the user are defined as the upper side, the lower side, the left side, and the right side, respectively.

[0016] The banknote depositing and withdrawing machine 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing 2. A banknote depositing slot 3 into which banknotes are inserted is provided at the upper part of the front surface of the housing 2, and a banknote withdrawing slot 4 from which banknotes are discharged is provided at the lower part of the front surface. This banknote depositing and withdrawing machine 1 takes in the banknotes inserted into the banknote depositing slot 3 by the user and stores them inside the housing 2, and discharges the banknotes stored inside from the banknote withdrawing slot 4 as change.

[0017] Inside the housing 2 of this banknote depositing and withdrawing machine 1, a banknote withdrawing unit 10 for discharging the withdrawn banknotes from the banknote withdrawing slot 4 is provided at the lower part of the front side (that is, the back of the banknote withdrawing slot 4). Hereinafter, the configuration of this banknote withdrawing unit 10 will be described in detail.

[0018] [2. Configuration and Operation of Banknote Withdrawing Unit] FIG. 2 shows a side cross-sectional view of the banknote withdrawing unit 10 when viewed from the right side. As shown in this FIG. 2, the banknote withdrawing unit 10 is configured around an accumulation tray 11 for accumulating the withdrawn banknotes BL. In front of the accumulation tray 11, a door 12 (see also FIG. 1 in addition to FIG. 2) that covers the banknote withdrawing slot 4 is provided. Although details will be described later, as shown in FIGS. 3(A), (B) and FIGS. 4(A)-(C), in the banknote withdrawing unit 10, by using the driving force of a motor (not shown), the accumulation tray 11 is slid forward from the positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 4(A), so that the accumulation tray 11 is pushed forward in front of the banknote withdrawing slot 4 while opening the door 12.

[0019] In addition to Figure 2, as shown in the external perspective view of Figure 5, this stacking tray 11 has a tray bottom 11b, a tray rear wall portion 11r (omitted in Figure 5) that protrudes upward from the rear end of the tray bottom 11b, and left and right tray side wall portions 11s (omitted in Figure 2) that protrude upward from both the left and right ends of the tray bottom 11b. The stacking tray 11 stacks the dispensed banknotes BL on the tray bottom 11b. Here, the stacking tray 11 is configured to stack the dispensed banknotes BL with the short side direction of the dispensed banknotes BL as the front-rear direction. Although details will be described later, Figure 5 shows the state of extracting the dispensed banknotes BL forward from the stacking tray 11.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the tray bottom 11b is inclined so that the rear end side is lower than the front end side, and as shown in Figure 5, it has a shape in which the central portion in the left-right direction (hereinafter referred to as the width direction) on the front end side is cut out. In other words, the tray bottom 11b has a concave shape when viewed from above. The notch portion 11n formed in the central portion on the front end side of the tray bottom 11b is for facilitating the grasping of the dispensed banknotes BL when extracting the dispensed banknotes BL from the stacking tray 11.

[0021] Also, as shown in Figure 2, above the rear end side of this stacking tray 11 (above the tray rear wall portion 11r), an accumulating roller 13 and a pressure roller 14 are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction with the accumulating roller 13 on the lower side and the pressure roller 14 on the upper side. By rotating in the directions indicated by the arrows R1 and R2 respectively, these accumulating roller 13 and pressure roller 14 sandwich the dispensed banknotes BL conveyed to the banknote dispensing unit 10 between them and discharge them onto the front stacking tray 11.

[0022] Furthermore, a plurality of blades 15t are provided on the rotating shaft of the stacking roller 13, and a blower wheel 15 that rotates together with the stacking roller 13 is provided. This blower wheel 15 strikes the rear part of the paid-out banknote BL discharged onto the stacking tray 11 by the stacking roller 13 and the pressure roller 14 from above with the blades 15t, and presses the paid-out banknote BL against the rear part of the tray bottom 11b so as to stack it on the tray bottom 11b. At this time, the paid-out banknotes BL are stacked so as to be brought closer to the tray rear wall portion 11r side.

[0023] Furthermore, above the stacking tray 11, a banknote guide 16 is provided that guides the paid-out banknote BL discharged forward by the stacking roller 13 and the pressure roller 14 to the stacking tray 11 and forms a stacking space Sp for the paid-out banknote BL together with the stacking tray 11. As shown in FIG. 5, this banknote guide 16 is fixed to the upper end portions of the left and right tray side wall portions 11s so as to be sandwiched between the left and right tray side wall portions 11s, and is disposed opposite to the upper side of the tray bottom 11b.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, this banknote guide 16 extends from the rear end side to near the front end of the stacking tray 11, and is inclined so that the front end side is lower than the rear end side. That is, the distance between the lower surface 16g, which is the guide surface of the banknote guide 16, and the upper surface 11g, which is the stacking surface of the tray bottom 11b, becomes narrower from the rear end side to the front end side of the stacking tray 11 (that is, as it goes forward). Also, as shown in FIG. 5, this banknote guide 16 has a shape in which the central portion in the width direction on the front end side is cut out (concave shape when viewed from above), similar to the tray bottom 11b. That is, also in this banknote guide 16, a notch portion 16n is formed in the central portion on the front end side in order to make it easier to grasp the paid-out banknotes BL stacked on the stacking tray 11.

[0025] Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, at the front ends of one end side (left end side) and the other end side (right end side) in the width direction (left - right direction) of the banknote guide 16, banknote ejection restricting portions 17 are provided. The banknote ejection restricting portion 17 on one end side (left end side) extends forward from the front end of one end side (left end side) in the width direction of the banknote guide 16 toward the front end of the tray bottom 11b. Similarly, the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 on the other end side (right end side) also extends forward from the front end of the other end side (right end side) in the width direction of the banknote guide 16 toward the front end of the tray bottom 11b.

[0026] The two banknote ejection restricting portions 17 are rotatably attached to the front end portion of the banknote guide 16 via a rotation shaft 17a (see FIG. 2) extending in the width direction (left - right direction) of the banknote guide 16. Thus, the two banknote ejection restricting portions 17 can rotate in the directions in which their respective tip portions (front end portions) approach and move away from the front end portion of the tray bottom 11b. These two banknote ejection restricting portions 17 are biased by their own weights in the directions in which their respective tip portions approach the front end portion of the tray bottom 11b, and their respective tip portions come into contact with the front end portion of the tray bottom 11b.

[0027] Still, as shown in FIG. 2, when the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 comes into contact with the tray bottom 11b, the lower surface 17g serving as the guide surface becomes substantially flush with the lower surface 16g serving as the guide surface of the banknote guide 16. That is, when the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 contacts the tray bottom 11b, the distance between the guide surface formed by the lower surface 17g of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the lower surface 16g of the banknote guide 16, and the upper surface 11g which is the accumulation surface of the tray bottom 11b becomes narrower from the rear end side to the front end side of the accumulation tray 11. In other words, the space between the guide surface formed by the lower surface 17g of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the lower surface 16g of the banknote guide 16, and the upper surface 11g of the tray bottom 11b becomes the accumulation space Sp, and the accumulation space Sp becomes narrower in the height direction toward the front.

[0028] Here, Fig. 6(A) shows an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the contact portion between the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 on one end side (left end side) and the front end portion of the tray bottom 11b. Fig. 6(B) shows a side sectional view of the periphery of the contact portion between the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 on one end side (left end side) and the front end portion of the tray bottom 11b.

[0029] As shown in these Figs. 6(A) and (B), a rib 18 protruding downward from the lower surface 17g is provided at the central portion in the width direction at the tip of the lower surface 17g of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17. The rib 18 has a substantially trapezoidal shape in which the lower base is shorter than the upper base when viewed from the width direction. The length of this rib 18 in the width direction is shorter than the length of the lower surface 17g of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 in the width direction. The lower end of this rib 18 is the portion that contacts the tray bottom 11b.

[0030] On the other hand, on the upper surface 11g of the tray bottom 11b, a protrusion 19 protruding from the upper surface 11g is formed at a position facing the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 (that is, at the front end of one end side (left end side) in the width direction of the upper surface 11g). This protrusion 19 has a substantially trapezoidal shape in which the lower base is longer than the upper base when viewed from the width direction. The upper end of this protrusion 19 is the portion that contacts the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 6(A), the length of this protrusion 19 in the width direction is shorter than the lower surface 17g of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and longer than the rib 18, and both ends in the width direction are positioned outside both ends in the width direction of the rib 18. Further, on the upper surface 11g of the tray bottom 11b, ribs 20 protruding from the upper surface 11g are provided at both ends in the width direction of the protrusion 19 so as to sandwich the protrusion 19 therebetween.

[0032] The two ribs 20 have the same size and shape, and as shown in Fig. 6(B), they have a substantially trapezoidal shape that is slightly larger than the protrusion 19 when viewed from the width direction. On the other hand, the protrusion 19 has a size and arrangement such that the whole is accommodated inside the rib 20 when viewed from the width direction.

[0033] Also, as shown in FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B), when the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 abuts against the protrusion 19 of the tray bottom portion 11b, the two ribs 20 of the tray bottom portion 11b are positioned outside both ends in the width direction of the rib 18 so as to sandwich the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 therebetween. At this time, the two ribs 20 do not abut against the lower surface 17g of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17, and a predetermined gap is formed between the two ribs 20 and the lower surface 17g.

[0034] That is, when the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 abuts against the protrusion 19 of the tray bottom portion 11b, the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the two ribs 20 of the tray bottom portion 11b have an overlapping nested shape in the vertical direction (the stacking direction of the paid-out banknotes BL stacked in the stacking tray 11) as viewed from the width direction. Here, although the contact portion between the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 on one end side (left end side) and the front end portion of the tray bottom portion 11b has been described with reference to FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B), the contact portion between the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 on the other end side (right end side) and the front end portion of the tray bottom portion 11b has the same configuration.

[0035] In this way, when the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 abuts against the protrusion 19 of the tray bottom portion 11b, the banknote ejection portion 10 has a nested shape in which the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the two ribs 20 of the tray bottom portion 11b overlap in the vertical direction (the stacking direction of the paid-out banknotes BL). Thus, the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 closes the front end side of the stacking space Sp, and restricts the paid-out banknotes BL stacked in the stacking tray 11 from jumping forward.

[0036] By doing so, when the stacking tray 11 is slid forward together with the banknote guide 16 and the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the paid-out banknotes BL are pushed out forward from the banknote ejection opening 4 as shown in FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C), the banknote ejection portion 10 can prevent the trouble that the paid-out banknotes BL jump out forward with excessive momentum from the stacking tray 11.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2 etc., for example, up to 10 withdrawal banknotes BL can be stacked in the stacking tray 11. On the other hand, the length of the stacking space Sp in the height direction is larger than the thickness corresponding to the maximum number of stacked withdrawal banknotes BL even at the narrowest part on the front end side. Therefore, when the withdrawal banknotes BL are stacked in the stacking tray 11, as long as there are no excessive creases or wrinkles on the withdrawal banknotes BL, the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 will not be pushed upward by the withdrawal banknotes BL to release the overlap, and the front end side of the stacking space Sp will not be opened. In other words, since the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 is not a member that actively presses the withdrawal banknotes BL from above, when stacking the withdrawal banknotes BL in the stacking tray 11, the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 will not cause an obstruction and jam.

[0038] Also, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 has a rear surface 18s on the stacking space Sp side that is an inclined surface rising backward, and the angle θ1 between this rear surface 18s and the installation surface Is of the banknote withdrawal portion 10 is 45 degrees or less. On the other hand, the two ribs 20 of the tray bottom 11b have a rear surface 20s on the stacking space Sp side that is an inclined surface descending backward, and the angle θ2 between this rear surface 20s and the installation surface Is of the banknote withdrawal portion 10 is 45 degrees or less. In other words, the angles θ1 and θ2 of the rear surface 18s of the rib 18 and the rear surface 20s of the rib 20 with respect to the sliding direction (front-rear direction) of the stacking tray 11 are each 45 degrees or less.

[0039] That is, the nested-shaped rear end side formed by the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the two ribs 20 of the tray bottom 11b has a V-shaped tapered shape that narrows toward the front when viewed from the width direction.

[0040] As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, when the user tries to grab the central portion in the width direction of the dispensed banknote BL stacked on the stacking tray 11 and pull it out forward, the front end of the dispensed banknote BL abuts against the rear surface 18s of the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the rear surfaces 20s of the two ribs 20 of the tray bottom 11b, and the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 is pushed upward to release the overlap. As a result, the front end side of the stacking space Sp is opened, and the dispensed banknote BL can be easily pulled out.

[0041] In addition, the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 is restricted in its rotation range by a rotation restricting member (not shown) when the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 rotates in a direction (upward) away from the front end portion of the tray bottom 11b. This rotation range is set so that the dispensed banknote BL can be easily pulled out even when the maximum number of stacked banknotes BL is stacked on the stacking tray 11.

[0042] Also, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the protrusion 19 located between the two ribs 20 of the tray bottom 11b, like the rib 20, has a rear surface 19s on the stacking space Sp side that is an inclined surface descending rearward, and the angle θ2 between this rear surface 19s and the installation surface Is of the banknote dispensing portion 10 is 45 degrees or less. By doing so, the protrusion 19 of the tray bottom 11b, like the rib 20, prevents the front end of the dispensed banknote BL from getting caught when the dispensed banknote BL is pulled out.

[0043] In this way, the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 can be retracted so as not to prevent the extraction of the dispensed banknote BL by the force applied by the user to pull out the dispensed banknote BL, which causes the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 to be pushed upward (that is, by the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 rotating in a direction away from the tray bottom 11b).

[0044] In addition, the weight of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 is selected so that it does not rotate even when the dispensed banknote BL abuts against it when the stacking tray 11 is slid forward, and rotates when the dispensed banknote BL abuts against it when the user pulls out the dispensed banknote BL.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, when the stacking tray 11 is stored inside, the bill dispensing unit 10 has a door lock mechanism 30 that locks the door 12 and unlocks the door 12 as the stacking tray 11 is slid forward. Note that FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the periphery of the front end of the tray side wall portion 11s on the other end side (right end side) of the stacking tray 11, and the door lock mechanism 30 is provided outside (right side) the front end of the tray side wall portion 11s.

[0046] Before explaining this door lock mechanism 30, first, the configuration of the door 12 will be explained. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 7, the door 12 mainly includes a front surface portion 12a that is a rectangular plate-shaped member covering the bill dispensing opening 4 when viewed from the front and having a substantially L-shaped cross-section when viewed in the width direction (left-right direction), and a rotation shaft 12b provided at the L-shaped corner portion located below the front surface portion 12a and extending in the width direction.

[0047] The door 12 is rotatably attached to a frame (not shown) provided inside the housing 2 (see FIG. 1) via this rotation shaft 12b. With the position where the front surface portion 12a covers the bill dispensing opening 4 (the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4(A)) as the closed position, the door 12 rotates around the rotation shaft 12b located below the door 12 from this closed position so that the front surface portion 12a falls forward to open. Here, the direction in which the door 12 opens (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) is called the open direction, and the direction in which the door 12 closes (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) is called the closed direction. When the door 12 is in the closed position shown in FIG. 2, the rear surface of the upper end portion of the front surface portion 12a abuts against the front surface of the device panel 40 provided near the upper side of the bill dispensing opening 4, and it cannot rotate further in the closed direction.

[0048] Here, with reference to FIG. 7, the door lock mechanism 30 provided on the other end side (right end side) of the integrated tray 11 will be described. This door lock mechanism 30 includes a torsion spring 31 attached to the rotation shaft 12b of the door 12, an arm portion 32 extending in a direction orthogonal to the rotation shaft 12b from the outer periphery of the rotation shaft 12b of the door 12, a rotation portion 33 that contacts and rotates with the arm portion 32 and the tray side wall portion 11s on the other end side, a tray side contact portion 34 provided on the outer surface 11sp of the tray side wall portion 11s and contacting the rotation portion 33, and a coil spring 35 attached to the rotation portion 33.

[0049] The torsion spring 31 biases the door 12 in the closing direction. The arm portion 32 is a member extending in a direction orthogonal to the rotation shaft 12b from the outer periphery of the other end portion (right end portion) of the rotation shaft 12b of the door 12. When the door 12 is in the closed position shown in FIG. 2, this arm portion 32 extends rearward from the outer periphery of the rotation shaft 12b, and as the door 12 rotates in the opening direction, the rear end portion rotates upward together with the rotation shaft 12b.

[0050] The rotation portion 33 is provided above the arm portion 32 and on the outer side (outer surface 11sp side) of the tray side wall portion 11s. This rotation portion 33 is a member rotatable about a rotation shaft 33b parallel to the rotation shaft 12b of the door 12, and is rotatably attached to a frame (not shown) provided inside the housing 2 (see FIG. 1) via the rotation shaft 33b.

[0051] This rotation portion 33 extends in one direction and the other direction orthogonal to the rotation shaft 33b with the rotation shaft 33b interposed therebetween, and the tip portion in one direction orthogonal to the rotation shaft 33b is a rotation portion side first contact portion 33a that contacts the arm portion 32. Further, the rotation portion 33 has a columnar rotation portion side second contact portion 33t that extends parallel to the rotation shaft 33b and toward the outer surface 11sp of the tray side wall portion 11s on the tip side in the other direction orthogonal to the rotation shaft 33b, and contacts the tray side contact portion 34 provided on the outer surface 11sp.

[0052] The tray-side contact portion 34 provided on the tray side wall portion 11s protrudes from the outer surface 11sp of the tray side wall portion 11s, and the front surface 34a is an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the rear.

[0053] The rotating portion 33 is arranged such that the rotation axis 33b is located behind the front surface 34a of the tray-side contact portion 34, and the second contact portion 33t on the rotating portion side contacts the front surface 34a of the tray-side contact portion 34 from the front. Further, the rotating portion 33 is biased by a coil spring 35 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 7 (i.e., the direction of pressing the second contact portion 33t on the rotating portion side against the front surface 34s of the tray-side contact portion 34).

[0054] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, when the stacking tray 11 is stored inside the banknote dispensing unit 10, the rotating portion 33 is held in a state where the second contact portion 33t on the rotating portion side is pressed against the upper part of the front surface 34s of the tray-side contact portion 34. Also at this time, as shown in the side view of the door locking mechanism 30 on the other end side (right end side) as viewed from the right in FIG. 8(A), the first contact portion 33a on the rotating portion side of the rotating portion 33, which is on the side opposite to the second contact portion 33t on the rotating portion side, is located near the upper part (within the rotation locus of the arm portion 32) of the arm portion 32 of the door 12 in the closed position.

[0055] In this state, for example, if an attempt is made to forcibly open the door 12 and rotate it in the opening direction, as shown in FIG. 8(B), at the moment of a slight rotation, the upper end of the arm portion 32 contacts the first contact portion 33a on the rotating portion side of the rotating portion 33, and the door 12 is locked so that it cannot be opened further. In this way, the door locking mechanism 30 locks the door 12.

[0056] Incidentally, due to manufacturing errors or the like, it is difficult to bring the arm portion 32 of the door 12 in the closed position into contact with the first contact portion 33a on the rotating portion side of the rotating portion 33. Therefore, a clearance is provided between the arm portion 32 of the door 12 in the closed position and the first contact portion 33a on the rotating portion side of the rotating portion 33 to absorb manufacturing errors or the like. On the other hand, if such a clearance is provided between the arm portion 32 of the door 12 in the closed position and the first contact portion 33a on the rotating portion side of the rotating portion 33, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the door 12 can be rotated in the opening direction from the closed position by the amount of the clearance (for example, about 5 degrees in terms of angle).

[0057] Therefore, as shown in the side sectional view of the peripheral portion of the door 12 in FIG. 8(C), a shielding portion 12p extending rearward (that is, toward the stacking tray 11 side) is provided at the upper portion of the front surface portion 12a of the door 12. This shielding portion 12p is a plate-like member having a length in the width direction approximately the same as that of the front surface portion 12a, and extends from the front surface portion 12a of the door 12 to above the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 when the door 12 is closed. Even if the door 12 is opened by a certain amount (for example, about 5 degrees in terms of angle) from the closed position, the shielding portion 12p is interposed between the upper portion of the front surface portion 12a of the door 12 and the upper portion of the banknote outlet 4, so that the inside of the banknote payout portion 10 is shielded so that the inside of the banknote payout portion 10 cannot be seen from above the banknote outlet 4.

[0058] Here, the operation of the banknote payout portion 10 when allowing the user to receive the payout banknote BL will be described. First, the banknote payout portion 10 slides the stacking tray 11 forward.

[0059] At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, as the tray side wall portion 11s of the stacking tray 11 moves forward, the second contact portion 33t on the rotating portion side of the rotating portion 33 that is in contact with the front surface 34a of the tray side contact portion 34 is pushed in the forward diagonally downward direction perpendicular to the front surface 34a of the tray side contact portion 34. As a result, the rotating portion 33 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 7 about the rotation axis 33b, and the first contact portion 33a on the rotating portion side moves away above the arm portion 32 and deviates from the rotation locus of the arm portion 32.

[0060] As a result, the arm portion 32 can rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 7, and the lock of the door 12 is released. In this way, the door lock mechanism 30 releases the lock of the door 12. When the lock of the door 12 is released, as shown in FIGS. 4(A) to (C), the door 12 is pushed forward by the stacking tray 11 that slides forward, so that the door 12 rotates in the opening direction about the rotation axis 12b, and the stacking tray 11 is pushed out from the banknote payout opening 4 to the outside (see also FIGS. 3(A) and (B)).

[0061] Still at this time, after the second contact portion 33t on the rotation portion side of the rotation portion 33 reaches the lower end of the front surface 34a of the tray side contact portion 34, it enters a groove 11sd (see FIG. 7) that extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface 34a and heads toward the rear end of this groove 11sd. Therefore, in the banknote payout unit 10, even after the second contact portion 33t on the rotation portion side of the rotation portion 33 reaches the lower end of the front surface 34a of the tray side contact portion 34, the stacking tray 11 can be slid forward.

[0062] Then, when the banknote payout unit 10 has pushed the stacking tray 11 forward from the banknote payout opening 4 by a predetermined amount, the sliding of the stacking tray 11 is stopped. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4(C), about the front half of the stacking tray 11 is pushed out from the banknote payout opening 4, and together with the stacking tray 11, the front portion of the payout banknotes BL stacked on the stacking tray 11 is pushed out from the banknote payout opening 4.

[0063] The user grasps the central portion of the payout banknotes BL that have been pushed out together with the stacking tray 11 in the state of being stacked on the stacking tray 11 from the banknote payout opening 4 in this way and pulls it out forward. Still, as shown in FIG. 4(C), when the stacking tray 11 is pushed forward from the banknote payout opening 4 and stops, the front end portion of the stacking tray 11 is located in front of the door 12. Thus, when grasping and pulling out the payout banknotes BL stacked on the stacking tray 11, the door 12 does not get in the way.

[0064] Also at this time, in the paper currency dispensing unit 10, as shown in FIG. 5, the tip of the paper currency ejection restricting unit 17 is pushed upward by the force with which the user attempts to extract the dispensed paper currency BL, and the paper currency ejection restricting unit 17 retracts, so that the user can easily extract the dispensed paper currency BL.

[0065] When the paper currency dispensing unit 10 detects that the dispensed paper currency BL has been extracted from the stacking tray 11 by a sensor (not shown) or the like, the stacking tray 11 is slid backward and stored inside. At this time, the door 12 closes while rotating in the closing direction by the biasing force of the torsion spring 31. Also at this time, in the paper currency dispensing unit 10, the door lock mechanism 30 performs an operation opposite to that when the stacking tray 11 is slid forward to lock the door 12 again. The operation of the paper currency dispensing unit 10 when allowing the user to receive the dispensed paper currency BL is as described above.

[0066] By the way, as described above, in the paper currency dispensing unit 10, for example, up to 10 dispensed paper currency BLs are stacked in the stacking tray 11, and assuming that there are no excessive folds or wrinkles on the dispensed paper currency BL, except when extracting the dispensed paper currency BL, the tip of the paper currency ejection restricting unit 17 is not pushed upward by the dispensed paper currency BL.

[0067] Conversely, if there are excessive folds or wrinkles on the dispensed paper currency BL, there is a possibility that the tip of the paper currency ejection restricting unit 17 is pushed upward by the dispensed paper currency BL. And if the tip of the paper currency ejection restricting unit 17 is pushed up to the height of the shielding portion 12p of the closed door 12, the tip of the paper currency ejection restricting unit 17 interferes with the shielding portion 12p, and the door 12 cannot be opened and closed smoothly.

[0068] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8(D), the paper currency dispensing unit 10 uses the device panel 40 provided in the vicinity above the paper currency dispensing opening 4 to restrict the clockwise rotation range of the paper currency ejection restricting unit 17 in FIG. 8(D) when the stacking tray 11 is stored inside the paper currency dispensing unit 10.

[0069] Specifically, the device panel 40 extends rearward from near the upper part above the banknote payout opening 4, and is positioned above the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 when the stacking tray 11 is stored inside the banknote payout portion 10. In addition, this device panel 40 is positioned above the shielding portion 12p of the closed door 12 and extends longer rearward than the shielding portion 12p.

[0070] And this device panel 40 restricts the clockwise rotation range of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 in FIG. 8(D) by the upper end of the portion (the portion raised upward from the tip) located rearward of the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 pushed upward coming into contact with the rear part of the lower surface 40b of the rearward extending portion (the portion ahead of the rear end of the shielding portion 12p).

[0071] That is, the device panel 40 restricts the clockwise rotation range of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 in FIG. 8(D) so that the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 is positioned below the shielding portion 12p of the closed door 12.

[0072] By doing so, in the banknote payout portion 10, even if the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 is pushed upward, it is possible to prevent the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 from interfering with the shielding portion 12p of the closed door 12, and the door 12 can be opened and closed smoothly.

[0073] In addition, the lower surface 40b of this device panel 40 is an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the upper end of the banknote payout opening 4, and also has a function of guiding the upper end of the pushed-up banknote ejection restricting portion 17 to the upper end of the banknote payout opening 4.

[0074] [3. Summary and Effects] As described so far, in the present embodiment, in the bill depositing and withdrawing machine 1 as a bill processing device, the stacking tray 11 for stacking the dispensed bills BL, which moves forward as a first direction from the state of being stored inside the device (that is, inside the housing 2) and is exposed outside the device (that is, outside the housing 2), the bill guide 16 provided above the stacking tray 11 for guiding the dispensed bills BL, and the bill ejection restricting portion 17 rotatably attached to the front end portion (tip portion) of the bill guide 16 for restricting the dispensed bills BL stacked on the stacking tray 11 from popping out forward are provided.

[0075] And in the bill depositing and withdrawing machine 1, the tip portion of the bill ejection restricting portion 17 and the front end portion (front end) of the tray bottom 11b of the stacking tray 11 have an overlapping nested shape in the stacking direction (vertical direction) of the dispensed bills BL stacked on the stacking tray 11. When the dispensed bills BL are extracted forward from the stacking tray 11 exposed outside the housing 2, the tip portion of the bill ejection restricting portion 17 is pushed by the dispensed bills BL to be extracted and rotates in a direction away from the front end of the stacking tray 11.

[0076] In this way, the nested shape formed by the tip portion of the bill ejection restricting portion 17 and the front end of the stacking tray 11 can restrict the dispensed bills BL stacked on the stacking tray 11 from popping out forward. Further, since the tip portion of the bill ejection restricting portion 17 is pushed by the dispensed bills BL extracted from the stacking tray 11 and rotates in a direction away from the front end of the stacking tray 11 (that is, upward), the bill ejection restricting portion 17 can be retracted so as not to interfere with the extraction of the dispensed bills BL. Thus, the bill depositing and withdrawing machine 1 can facilitate the receipt of bills while preventing the bills from popping out.

[0077] Also, the bill depositing and withdrawing machine 1 is provided with a rib 18 protruding toward the front end side (that is, downward) of the stacking tray 11 at the tip portion of the bill ejection restricting portion 17, and the rib 18 is formed in a nested shape with the front end of the stacking tray 11. Then, the rear surface 18s, which is the surface of the rib 18 in the direction opposite to the first direction (rearward), is an inclined surface that slopes upward in the direction opposite to the first direction (rearward).

[0078] As a result, when the banknote depositing and dispensing machine 1 withdraws the dispensed banknote BL forward, the dispensed banknote BL can push the rear surface 18s of the rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 without getting caught on the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17, and push the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 upward.

[0079] Further, the banknote depositing and dispensing machine 1 is provided with a rib 20 protruding toward the tip side (i.e., upward) of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 at the front end portion of the upper surface 11g of the tray bottom portion 11b serving as the stacking surface of the stacking tray 11, and the rib 20 is formed in a nested shape with the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17. Then, the rear surface 20s of the rib 20, which is the surface in the direction opposite to the first direction, is an inclined surface that slopes downward in the direction opposite to the first direction (rearward).

[0080] As a result, when the banknote depositing and dispensing machine 1 withdraws the dispensed banknote BL forward, the dispensed banknote BL can climb the rear surface 20s of the rib 20 of the stacking tray 11 without getting caught on the front end portion of the stacking tray 11, and push the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 upward.

[0081] Furthermore, the banknote depositing and dispensing machine 1 is provided with a banknote ejection port 4 in front of the stacking tray 11 housed inside the housing 2, and a door 12 for covering the banknote ejection port 4 is provided. In the banknote depositing and dispensing machine 1, when the stacking tray 11 housed inside the housing 2 moves forward, the stacking tray 11 pushes the door 12 to open the door 12.

[0082] In this way, in the banknote depositing and dispensing machine 1, a drive unit such as a motor for opening and closing the door 12 is not required, and the configuration can be simplified.

[0083] Furthermore, the banknote depositing and dispensing machine 1 is provided with a door lock mechanism 30 that locks the door 12 when the stacking tray 11 is housed inside the housing 2 and releases the lock of the door 12 as the stacking tray 11 moves forward from inside the housing 2.

[0084] This door lock mechanism 30 has a rotating part 33 as an engaging part that engages with the integrated tray 11 and the door 12. When the integrated tray 11 is stored inside the housing 2, the rotating part 33 engages (abuts) with the integrated tray 11 and the door 12 to hold the rotating position, thereby locking the door 12. When the integrated tray 11 moves forward, it rotates in a direction to release the engagement with the door 12 following the movement of the engaged integrated tray 11 to unlock the door 12.

[0085] By providing such a door lock mechanism 30, the bill depositing and withdrawing machine 1 can lock and unlock the door 12 without providing a dedicated driving part for operating the door lock mechanism 30.

[0086] Furthermore, in the bill depositing and withdrawing machine 1, a shielding part 12p extending in the direction opposite to the first direction (rearward) is provided above the door 12. When the door 12 rotates about the lower rotation shaft 12b and opens slightly, the shielding part 12p is interposed between the upper part of the door 12 and the upper part of the bill dispensing opening 4. By doing so, in the bill depositing and withdrawing machine 1, even if the door 12 opens slightly, the inside of the housing 2 cannot be seen from the bill dispensing opening 4.

[0087] Furthermore, in the bill depositing and withdrawing machine 1, a device panel 40 is provided as a regulating part for regulating the rotation range of the bill ejection regulating part 17 within the range between the shielding part 12p of the closed door 12 and the front end part of the tray bottom 11b of the integrated tray 11. Thereby, the bill depositing and withdrawing machine 1 can prevent the bill ejection regulating part 17 from interfering with the shielding part 12p of the closed door 12 and can open and close the door 12 smoothly.

[0088] [4. Other Embodiments] [4-1. Other Embodiment 1] Further, in the above-described embodiment, a rib 18 protruding toward the front end side (i.e., downward) of the stacking tray 11 is provided at the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17, and a rib 20 protruding toward the tip side (i.e., upward) of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 is provided at the front end portion of the upper surface 11g of the tray bottom 11b that serves as the stacking surface of the stacking tray 11. The rib 18 of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the rib 20 of the stacking tray 11 are formed in an overlapping nested shape in the stacking direction (vertical direction) of the paid-out banknotes BL.

[0089] Not limited to this, depending on another configuration, the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the front end of the stacking tray 11 may form an overlapping nested shape in the stacking direction of the paid-out banknotes BL. For example, while providing a rib protruding downward at the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17, a depression into which the rib is inserted may be provided at the front end portion of the upper surface 11g of the tray bottom 11b so that the rib and the depression form a nested shape. Conversely, while providing a rib protruding upward at the front end portion of the upper surface 11g of the tray bottom 11b, a depression into which the rib is inserted may be provided at the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 so that the rib and the depression form a nested shape. Also not limited to this, for example, the tip of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 and the front end of the tray bottom 11b may be formed in a comb shape that meshes in the vertical direction to form a nested shape.

[0090] [4-2. Other Embodiment 2] Further, in the above-described embodiment, a notch portion 16n is formed in the central portion in the width direction on the front end side of the banknote guide 16, and banknote ejection restricting portions 17 are rotatably attached to one end side and the other end side in the width direction of the front end portion, respectively.

[0091] Not limited to this, for example, by eliminating the notch portion 16n of the banknote guide 16, the banknote guide 16 is made into a rectangular shape instead of a concave shape when viewed from above, and one banknote ejection restricting portion 17 having a width substantially equal to that of the banknote guide 16 in the width direction may be rotatably attached to the front end portion of the banknote guide 16. In this case, if a notch portion is formed in the central portion in the width direction on the front end side of the banknote ejection restricting portion 17, it becomes easier for the user to grasp the paid-out banknotes BL.

[0092] [4-3. Other Embodiment 3] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the banknote ejection restricting portion 17 is biased by its own weight so that the respective tip portions are biased in a direction approaching the front end portion of the tray bottom 11b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a biasing member such as a torsion spring may be used to bias the banknote ejection restricting portion 17.

[0093] [4-4. Other Embodiment 4] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when the stacking tray 11 is stored inside the housing 2, the door 12 is locked, and a door locking mechanism 30 that unlocks the door 12 as the stacking tray 11 moves forward from inside the housing 2 is provided in the banknote depositing and withdrawing machine 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a door locking mechanism having a configuration different from that of the door locking mechanism 30 may be provided in the banknote depositing and withdrawing machine 1.

[0094] [4-5. Other Embodiment 5] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to the banknote depositing and withdrawing machine 1 that allows the user to receive the withdrawn banknotes BL by exposing the stacking tray 11 in which the withdrawn banknotes BL are stacked to the outside of the housing 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to various banknote processing apparatuses that allow the user to receive banknotes by exposing a stacking tray in which banknotes are stacked to the outside. For example, it can also be applied to a banknote dispenser that only handles the withdrawal of banknotes.

[0095] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to the banknote depositing and withdrawing machine 1 incorporated as a banknote unit in a change dispenser (not shown) installed at the cash desk of a retail store such as a supermarket, convenience store, or gas station. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to a banknote depositing and withdrawing machine incorporated in an apparatus other than a change dispenser.

[0096] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to each of the above-described embodiments and other embodiments. That is, the present invention also applies to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of each of the above-described embodiments and the above-described other embodiments. Furthermore, the present invention also applies when extracting a part of the configuration described in any of the above-described embodiments and the above-described other embodiments and replacing / transferring it with a part of the configuration of any of the above-described embodiments and the above-described other embodiments, or when adding a part of the extracted configuration to any of the embodiments.

Industrial Applicability

[0097] The present invention can be used in various banknote processing apparatuses that discharge banknotes.

Explanation of Signs

[0098] 1... Banknote depositing and withdrawing machine, 2... Housing, 4... Banknote outlet, 10... Banknote discharging section, 11... Stacking tray, 12... Door, 12b... Rotating shaft, 12p... Shielding section, 16... Banknote guide, 17... Banknote flying-out restricting section, Banknote storage space, 16... Rejected banknote storage section, 17... Recycled banknote storage section, 18, 20... Ribs, 18s, 20s... Rear surface, 30... Door locking mechanism, 31... Torsion spring, 32... Arm section, 33... Rotating section, 34... Tray-side contact section, 35... Coil spring, 40... Device panel, BL... Discharged banknotes, Sp... Stacking space.

Claims

1. An accumulation tray for accumulating banknotes that moves in a first direction from a state of being housed inside the apparatus and is exposed outside the apparatus, and A banknote guide provided above the accumulation tray for guiding the banknotes, and A banknote ejection regulation unit rotatably attached to an end portion of the banknote guide in the first direction for regulating the banknotes accumulated in the accumulation tray from popping out in the first direction Comprising An end portion of the banknote ejection regulation unit in the first direction and an end portion of the bottom of the accumulation tray in the first direction are in a nested shape that overlaps in the stacking direction of the banknotes stacked in the accumulation tray A banknote processing apparatus characterized by the above.

2. When the banknotes are withdrawn in the first direction from the accumulation tray exposed outside the apparatus, the end portion of the banknote ejection regulation unit is pushed by the banknotes to be withdrawn and rotates in a direction away from the end portion of the accumulation tray The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. A rib protruding toward the end portion side of the accumulation tray is provided at the end portion of the banknote ejection regulation unit, and the rib forms a nested shape with the end portion of the accumulation tray The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

4. A surface of the rib of the banknote ejection regulation unit in a direction opposite to the first direction is an inclined surface rising in a direction opposite to the first direction The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. A rib protruding toward the end portion side of the banknote ejection regulation unit is provided at the end portion of the accumulation tray, and the rib forms a nested shape with the end portion of the banknote ejection regulation unit The banknote processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the above.

6. A surface of the rib of the accumulation tray in a direction opposite to the first direction is an inclined surface descending in a direction opposite to the first direction The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized by the above.

7. With the direction orthogonal to the first direction and the stacking direction of the banknotes as the width direction, the banknote ejection regulation units are rotatably attached to one end side and the other end side in the width direction at the end portion of the banknote guide, respectively The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

8. A banknote payout port provided in front of the accumulation tray housed inside the apparatus, and A door covering the banknote payout port Comprising When the integrated tray housed inside the apparatus moves in the first direction and is exposed outside the apparatus through the banknote dispensing opening, the integrated tray pushes the door, thereby opening the door. The banknote processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that.

9. When the integrated tray is housed inside the apparatus, the door is locked, and a door lock mechanism is provided to unlock the door as the integrated tray housed inside the apparatus moves in the first direction. The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. The door opens and closes by rotating about a rotation shaft provided on the lower side of the door, and a shielding portion extending in a direction opposite to the first direction is provided on the upper portion of the door. The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that.

11. A restricting portion is provided to restrict the rotation range of the banknote ejection restricting portion to a range between the shielding portion of the closed door and the end portion of the integrated tray. The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that.

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