Currency processing device

Abstract

To provide a currency processor that can prevent overlooking of currency that are present in blind spots in the processor.SOLUTION: A coin processor 10 includes: a detection unit 47 capable of detecting an opening degree of a downstream conveyor belt 22 with respect to a third straight portion 18c; an illumination unit 48 that irradiates a dead angle area BS of the third straight portion 18c with light; and a control unit 46 that determines whether to emit light according to the opening degree of the downstream conveyor belt 22 and emits light at least when the downstream conveyor belt 29 is fully open.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a currency processing apparatus, there is known a coin processing machine that discriminates coins conveyed by a conveyor belt and pays out only coins of a single denomination in a predetermined designated number (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, as another currency processing apparatus, there is known a banknote processing apparatus that discriminates banknotes conveyed by a conveying unit and stores the discriminated banknotes in a banknote storage cassette so that they can be paid out (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the above-described coin processing machine and banknote processing apparatus, when performing a recovery operation from an error such as a jam, the conveyor belt and the conveying unit are opened, and when visually checking the conveying path, currency remaining in a dead corner area inside the machine may be overlooked, resulting in an arithmetic error.

[0006] Therefore, a technical problem to be solved arises in order to suppress overlooking of currency existing in the dead corner area inside the machine, and an object of the present invention is to solve this problem.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a currency processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a fixed part and an opening / closing part that is provided to be openable and closable with respect to the fixed part and allows an operator to access the fixed part when opened, and is a currency processing apparatus comprising: a detection part that can detect an opening degree at which the opening / closing part opens with respect to the fixed part; an illumination part that irradiates light to a blind spot area of the fixed part; and a control part that determines whether to irradiate the light according to the opening degree of the opening / closing part, and irradiates the light at least when the opening degree of the opening / closing part is in a fully open state where the opening / closing part is opened from the fixed part.

[0008] According to this configuration, the illumination part irradiates light toward the blind spot area according to the opening degree at which the opening / closing part opens with respect to the fixed part, so that the visibility of the blind spot area is improved during the recovery work for errors such as jams, and overlooking of currency can be suppressed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] The present invention can improve the visibility of the blind spot area during the recovery work for errors such as jams and suppress overlooking of currency.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] <First Embodiment> The coin processing machine 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, when referring to the number of components, numerical values, amounts, ranges, etc., unless otherwise specified or clearly limited to a specific number in principle, it is not limited to that specific number, and it may be more than or less than the specific number.

[0012] In addition, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, etc., unless otherwise specified or clearly considered not to be the case in principle, it includes those substantially approximating or similar to the shape, etc.

[0013] In addition, the drawings may be exaggerated, such as enlarging characteristic parts for easy understanding of the characteristics, and the dimensional ratios of components are not necessarily the same as the actual ones.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the coin processing machine 10 is provided with a coin insertion unit 11 into which loose inserted coins are inserted by an operator. Below the coin insertion unit 11, a feeding mechanism 12 is provided for feeding out the loose coins inserted into the coin insertion unit 11 one by one.

[0015] The feeding mechanism 12 includes a rotating disk 13 that receives the loose coins inserted into the coin insertion unit 11 and is rotatably provided around a vertical axis, and a separating unit 14 that is located laterally of the rotating disk 13 and separates and feeds out the coins that move outward by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating disk 13 by passing the coins, and a feeding motor (not shown) for driving the rotating disk 13.

[0016] A coin passage 18 for guiding the coins fed out from the separating unit 14 is horizontally arranged on the side of the separating unit 14 through a passage surface 17 between the two higher guide walls 15 and 16 on both sides. The interval between the guide walls 15 and 16, that is, the width of the passage surface 17, is such that the coins fed out from the feeding mechanism 12 can be transferred side by side in the fed-out order.

[0017] The coin passage 18 includes a first straight portion 18a connected to the separating portion 14 and extending in a substantially tangential direction of the rotating disk 13, a second straight portion 18b extending from the side of the first straight portion 18a opposite to the separating portion 14 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the first straight portion 18a, and a third straight portion 18c extending from the side of the second straight portion 18b opposite to the first straight portion 18a in a direction substantially orthogonal to the second straight portion 18b.

[0018] Above the coin passage 18, a conveying mechanism 19 is provided for conveying the coins fed from the feeding mechanism 12 into the coin passage 18 along the coin passage 18 while pressing the coins from above. The conveying mechanism 19 includes a linearly-shaped introduction-side belt 20 in a plan view for conveying the coins fed from the rotating disk 13 on the upstream side of the first straight portion 18a, a U-shaped upstream-side conveying belt 21 in a plan view for conveying the coins sent out from the introduction-side belt 20 in the order of a part on the second straight portion 18b side of the first straight portion 18a, the second straight portion 18b, and the third straight portion 18c, and a linearly-shaped downstream-side conveying belt 22 in a plan view for receiving the coins from the upstream-side conveying belt 21 and conveying them on the remaining part on the side opposite to the second straight portion 18b of the third straight portion 18c.

[0019] The introduction-side belt 20 is an endless belt made of a high-friction member having elasticity such as rubber, and both ends are held by a pair of pulleys 23 and 24. The downstream pulley 24 is fixed to the drive shaft 26 of the introduction-side drive motor 25, and the introduction-side belt 20 is driven to rotate by the introduction-side drive motor 25. It should be noted that the upstream pulley 23 may be fixed to the drive shaft 26 of the introduction-side drive motor 25.

[0020] The upstream-side conveying belt 21 is an endless belt made of a high-friction member having elasticity such as rubber, and both ends are held by a pair of pulleys 27 and 28, and two bending portions are respectively held by upper and lower pulleys 29 and 30.

[0021] The downstream conveyance belt 22 is also an endless belt made of a high-friction member, similar to the upstream conveyance belt 21, and both ends are held by a pair of pulleys 31 and 32. Note that the pulley 28 on the downstream side of the upstream conveyance belt 21 and the pulley 31 on the upstream side of the downstream conveyance belt 22 are fixed coaxially. And the pulley 32 on the downstream side is fixed to the drive shaft 34 of the conveyance drive motor 33, and the upstream conveyance belt 21 and the downstream conveyance belt 22 are driven by the conveyance drive motor 33 to rotate synchronously. Note that any one of the other pulleys 27, 28, 31 may be fixed to the drive shaft 34 of the conveyance drive motor 33.

[0022] In this way, in addition to the introduction-side belt 20, the upstream conveyance belt 21, and the downstream conveyance belt 22, the conveyance mechanism 19 is constituted by the pulleys 23, 24, the introduction-side drive motor 25, the pulleys 27 to 32, and the conveyance drive motor 33.

[0023] The feeding mechanism 12, the coin passage 18, and the conveyance mechanism 19 constitute a feeding and conveyance unit 35 that separates and conveys the coins inserted into the coin insertion unit 11 one by one.

[0024] A coin detection sensor 36 and a coin discrimination unit 37 are provided on the passage surface 17 of the first straight portion 18a. The coin detection sensor 36 is provided near the feeding mechanism 12 and at the position of the introduction-side belt 20 in the conveyance direction, and detects the passage of coins moving on the passage surface 17. The coin detection sensor 36 is, for example, an optical sensor, and by detecting the passage of coins moving on the passage surface 17, it serves as a count sensor capable of counting the number of passing coins.

[0025] The coin discrimination unit 37 is provided at the position of the upstream conveyance belt 21 in the conveyance direction of the first straight portion 18a, and includes a CCD camera or the like that discriminates and counts the authenticity and denomination of coins by detecting the image (or material) of the coins conveyed in the coin passage 18 by the upstream conveyance belt 21.

[0026] In the second straight portion 18b, an upstream coin sorting unit 38 is provided at the position of the upstream conveyance belt 21 in the conveyance direction to sort coins conveyed in the coin passage 18 by the upstream conveyance belt 21 based on the sorting result of the coin discrimination unit 37 or the like. The upstream coin sorting unit 38 includes a take-out sorting unit 39 and a reject sorting unit 40 located downstream of the take-out sorting unit 39.

[0027] When the take-out sorting unit 39 executes the counting mode of counting coins of a specified single coin type and taking out a specified number of coins, it excludes the coins of the specified single coin type to be counted from the coin passage 18 until the specified number of coins is reached. Also, when executing the storage mode of counting and classifying mixed-coin-type coins by coin type and storing them, it does not exclude the coins from the coin passage 18.

[0028] The take-out sorting unit 39 includes a sorting hole 39a formed to penetrate the passage surface 17, a shutter 39b for opening and closing the sorting hole 39a, and a solenoid 39c for driving the shutter 39b to open and close. When the shutter 39b is actuated to open, the coins are dropped from the sorting hole 39a. The sorting hole 39a communicates with a take-out port (not shown) provided at a position facing the outside of the machine via a chute (not shown), and guides the dropped coins to the take-out port so that the coins can be taken out of the machine.

[0029] When the reject sorting unit 40 executes the counting mode, it excludes coins other than the coins to be counted including unidentifiable coins and coins of the coin type to be counted that exceed the specified number from the coin passage 18. Also, when executing the storage mode, it excludes unidentifiable coins from the coin passage 18.

[0030] The reject sorting unit 40 includes a sorting hole 40a formed to penetrate the passage surface 17 of the coin passage 18, a shutter 40b for opening and closing the sorting hole 40a, and a solenoid 40c for driving the shutter 40b to open and close. When the shutter 40b is actuated to open, the coins are dropped from the sorting hole 40a. The sorting hole 40a communicates with a reject port provided at a position facing the outside of the machine via a chute (not shown), and guides the dropped coins to the reject port so that the coins can be taken out of the machine.

[0031] At the upstream position of the coin taking and sorting unit 39 on the passage surface 17 of the second straight portion 18b, a coin detection sensor 41 for detecting coins is provided. The coin detection sensor 41 is, for example, an optical sensor, and measures the drive timing of the solenoid 39c when dropping the detected coin. Further, the coin detection sensor 41 can count the number of coins passing through by detecting the passage of coins moving on the passage surface 17 by the drive of the upstream conveying belt 21.

[0032] At the position between the coin taking and sorting unit 39 and the reject sorting unit 40 on the passage surface 17 of the second straight portion 18b, a coin detection sensor 42 for detecting coins is provided. The coin detection sensor 42 is, for example, an optical sensor, and measures the drive timing of the solenoid 40c when dropping the detected coin. Further, the coin detection sensor 42 can count the number of coins passing through by detecting the passage of coins moving on the passage surface 17 by the drive of the upstream conveying belt 21. That is, the coin detection sensor 42 can count coins between the coin taking and sorting unit 39 and the reject sorting unit 40.

[0033] In the storage mode, a denomination sorting unit 43 for sorting the coins identified by the coin identification unit 37 by denomination is provided in the third straight portion 18c. The denomination sorting unit 43 has the same number of sorting holes 44a to 44f as the number of denominations, which sort and drop the coins conveyed by the upstream conveying belt 21 and the downstream conveying belt 22 by denomination.

[0034] The sorting holes 44a to 44f are arranged to drop coins in order from the one with the smallest coin diameter. That is, the sorting hole 44a with the minimum width drops a 1-yen coin, the sorting hole 44b wider than this drops a 50-yen coin, the sorting hole 44c wider than this drops a 5-yen coin, the sorting hole 44d wider than this drops a 100-yen coin, the sorting hole 44e wider than this drops a 10-yen coin, and the sorting hole 44f wider than this drops a 500-yen coin respectively. The coins sorted by the sorting holes 44a to 44f are stored by denomination in a storage section (not shown). Note that coin detection sensors 45a to 45f are respectively arranged corresponding to positions immediately before each of the sorting holes 44a to 44f, and the difference in the number of coins that have passed through the adjacent front and rear coin detection sensors is configured to be counted as the number of coins sorted by the one located therebetween among the sorting holes 44a to 44f.

[0035] The operation of the coin processor 10 is controlled via the control unit 46. The control unit 46 controls each of the components constituting the coin processor 10.

[0036] By the way, when an error such as a jam occurs, the operator opens the transport mechanism 19 as an opening / closing section to visually check for the presence or absence of coins remaining in the coin passage 18 as a fixed section. However, there is a risk of overlooking coins remaining in the dead corner area BS inside the coin processor 10. Here, the "fixed section" is a component that serves as a reference when the opening / closing section opens and closes, and does not mean that its position is absolutely fixed. Also, the "dead corner area BS" means an area that is difficult for the operator to visually check, such as being hidden behind the opening / closing section.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a state in which the operator can access the third straight section 18c by opening the downstream transport belt 22 so that it is lifted around the drive shaft 34 of the transport drive motor 33. In FIG. 2, a sufficient space cannot be secured between the third straight section 18c and the downstream transport belt 22 in the fully open state, and the periphery of the sorting hole 44f that becomes shaded corresponds to the "dead corner area BS".

[0038] In order to prevent overlooking coins in the blind spot area BS described above, as shown in FIG. 1, the coin processor 10 includes a detection unit 47 capable of detecting the opening degree of the downstream conveyance belt 22 with respect to the third straight portion 18c, and an illumination unit 48 that irradiates light toward the blind spot area BS.

[0039] The detection unit 47 detects the opening degree at which the downstream conveyance belt 22 opens with respect to the third straight portion 18c. For the detection unit 47, for example, a photointerrupter attached to the downstream conveyance belt 22 to measure the opening angle, or a proximity sensor attached to the cover or the like of the coin processor 10 to detect that the downstream conveyance belt 22 has opened can be considered.

[0040] The opening degree detected by the detection unit 47 is not limited to two stages of opening and closing. For example, it is preferably set to three stages. The three-stage opening degree means, as shown in FIG. 2, a closed state in which the downstream conveyance belt 22 overlaps and closes the third straight portion 18c, a fully open state in which the downstream conveyance belt 22 is released from the third straight portion 18c, or an open state from the closed state to the fully open state, which is divided into three stages. Note that the "fully open state" means a state in which the downstream conveyance belt 22 is released from the third straight portion 18c to such an extent that the visibility of the blind spot area BS can be ensured. For example, when the opening angle formed by the third straight portion 18c and the downstream conveyance belt 22 is larger than about 70 degrees when viewed from the side, or when there is a mechanism for locking the downstream conveyance belt 22 that has been opened to a predetermined opening angle so that it does not close under its own weight, it means when the locking mechanism operates.

[0041] The illumination unit 48 is preferably, for example, a planar light-emitting illumination such as an LED chip or a COB (Chip On Board) LED, but is not limited thereto. The illumination unit 48 is disposed, for example, below the rotating disk 13, but may be provided at any location as long as it can irradiate light to the blind spot area BS. Further, the illumination unit 48 preferably includes a rotation mechanism or a swing mechanism capable of adjusting the direction in order to adjust the light irradiation range.

[0042] Further, the lighting unit 48 is preferably detachably attached to the coin processor 10, for example, by a magnet, a hook-and-loop fastener, or the like. Thereby, instead of providing a fixed lighting unit 48 near all the dead corner areas BS in the coin processor 10, the number of installed lighting units 48 can be reduced by providing a detachable lighting unit 48 near an arbitrary dead corner area BS. Further, the detachable lighting unit 48 can also be used as a handy light for illuminating the dead corner area BS by constantly lighting it in the removed state.

[0043] The control unit 46 determines whether to irradiate light in different modes or not to irradiate light at each opening degree of the closed state, open state, or fully open state detected by the detection unit 47. Here, the "mode of light" is the color of the light irradiated by the lighting unit 48 or the emission time when the lighting unit 48 lights or blinks the light.

[0044] The control unit 46 preferably irradiates light in the mode with the highest visibility at the opening degree of the fully open state. For example, the control unit 46 controls the light of the lighting unit 48 to be lit in the fully open state, blink or turn off in the open state, and turn off in the closed state. Alternatively, the control unit 46 may control the light color of the lighting unit 48 to be a color with high visibility and high brightness such as white in the fully open state, a warning color with low brightness such as red or orange in the open state, and turn off in the closed state. In this way, by switching to irradiate light in different modes or turn off in the closed state, open state, and fully open state, the operator can grasp the opening degree of the downstream conveyor belt 22.

[0045] In this way, the coin processor 10 according to the present embodiment includes a third straight portion 18c and a downstream conveyance belt 22 that is provided to be openable and closable with respect to the third straight portion 18c and that allows an operator to access the third straight portion 18c when opened. The coin processor 10 is configured to include a detection unit 47 that can detect the opening degree at which the downstream conveyance belt 22 opens with respect to the third straight portion 18c, an illumination unit 48 that irradiates light to a dead angle region BS of the third straight portion 18c, and a control unit 46 that determines whether to irradiate light according to the opening degree of the downstream conveyance belt 22 and irradiates light at least when the opening degree of the downstream conveyance belt 22 is in a fully open state.

[0046] With such a configuration, the illumination unit 48 irradiates light toward the dead angle region BS according to the opening degree at which the downstream conveyance belt 22 opens with respect to the third straight portion 18c, thereby improving the visibility of the dead angle region BS during error recovery work such as jamming and suppressing overlooking of coins.

[0047] Further, the opening degree of the coin processor 10 is divided into a fully open state, a closed state in which the downstream conveyance belt 22 is closed with respect to the third straight portion 18c, or an open state in which the downstream conveyance belt 22 changes from the closed state to the fully open state. The control unit 46 is configured to determine whether to irradiate light in different modes or not irradiate light at each opening degree of the closed state, the open state, or the fully open state.

[0048] With such a configuration, the illumination unit 48 irradiates light in different modes or does not irradiate light according to the three-stage opening degree, so that the operator can grasp the opening degree of the downstream conveyance belt 22 and is urged to open the downstream conveyance belt 22 to the fully open state. Therefore, the recovery work can be performed with high visibility of the dead angle region BS, and overlooking of coins can be further suppressed.

[0049] Further, the coin processor 10 is configured such that the control unit 46 irradiates light in the most visible mode at the opening degree of the fully open state.

[0050] With such a configuration, the visibility of the blind spot area BS of the third straight portion 18c during the recovery operation is improved, so that overlooking of coins can be further suppressed.

[0051] <Second Embodiment>

[0052] Next, a banknote processing machine 50 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The banknote processing machine 50 of the present embodiment performs deposit / withdrawal processing and the like for banknotes. Hereinafter, loose banknotes are simply referred to as banknotes, and banknotes bundled in a predetermined bundling unit number (100 sheets) are referred to as bundled banknotes.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 3, in the banknote processing machine 50 of the present embodiment, a deposit slot 52 and a withdrawal slot 53 are provided in the upper part on the front side of the machine body 51. The withdrawal slot 53 is provided above the deposit slot 52.

[0054] The deposit slot 52 has a shutter (not shown) that can be opened and closed. When the shutter is in the open state, banknotes are inserted from outside the machine, and then the shutter is closed to feed the banknotes into the machine. Banknotes are stacked and placed in the deposit slot 52 from bottom to top in a posture where the longitudinal direction is along the left-right direction when viewed from the front side of the machine body. At the lower part, a deposit feeding unit 54 is provided to separate the banknotes stacked on the deposit slot 52 one by one from the bottom one and feed them into the machine at a predetermined interval. Banknotes are basically conveyed in a posture where their short side direction is along the conveying direction inside the banknote processing machine 50.

[0055] The bill payout section 54 that pays out bills from the deposit slot 52 includes a kick-out roller 54a that abuts against the middle part in the short side direction of the lowermost bill among the bills accumulated at the deposit slot 52 and kicks it inside the machine, a payout roller 54b that pays out the bill kicked out by the kick-out roller 54a into the machine, and a separation roller 54c that stops relative to the payout roller 54b to separate the bills paid out by the payout roller 54b one by one. At a position immediately after the bill payout section 54, an entrance sensor 55 is provided to optically detect whether there are conveyance abnormalities such as double feeding in which multiple bills are stacked, skewing in which the bills are in an inclined posture with respect to the conveyance direction, or near feed in which the conveyance interval between adjacent bills is narrow, and whether there are shape abnormalities such as half tickets.

[0056] The bill outlet 53 has a shutter (not shown) that can be opened and closed. When the shutter is in the closed state, bills for withdrawal are paid out from inside the machine, and then, when the shutter is opened, the bills are taken out of the machine. In other words, the bill outlet 53 enables bills to be taken out of the machine. The bills paid out from inside the machine will be accumulated and placed from bottom to top in a posture with the longitudinal direction along the left-right direction as viewed from the front side of the machine body. The bill outlet 53 can store bills in a state where the shutter is closed, and can pay out the stored bills into the machine.

[0057] At the rear of the bill processor 50, an identification section 56 is provided to identify the authenticity of the bills paid out from the deposit slot 52, the denominations of genuine bills, and the presence or absence of conveyance abnormalities such as double feeding, skewing, or near feed. The identification section 56 also identifies the front and back, top and bottom (heaven and earth), left and right, etc. of the bills.

[0058] Behind the deposit port 52 and the withdrawal port 53, a plurality of, specifically, two alignment units 57 and 58 for aligning banknotes and accumulating them in predetermined bundled unit numbers are provided. Further, behind these alignment units 57 and 58, a lifting and conveying unit 59 for conveying the banknotes in the bundled unit numbers accumulated in the alignment units 57 and 58 upward is provided. Above the alignment units 57 and 58, a bundling unit 60 is provided for winding a bundling tape around the banknotes in the bundled unit numbers accumulated in the alignment units 57 and 58 and conveyed by the lifting and conveying unit 59 to form bundled banknotes.

[0059] On the front side of the bundling unit 60, a bundled withdrawal unit 61 is provided for feeding out the bundled banknotes created by the bundling unit 60 so that they can be taken out of the machine. The bundled withdrawal unit 61 also has a shutter (not shown) that can be opened and closed. When the shutter is in the closed state, the bundled banknotes are fed out from the machine interior, and then, when the shutter is opened, the bundled banknotes are taken out of the machine. On the side of the bundling unit 60, a bundled storage unit (not shown) for storing the bundled banknotes bundled by the bundling unit 60 is provided.

[0060] At the lower part of the banknote processing machine 50, a plurality of, specifically, four storage bins 62 with the same structure are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction with their vertical and horizontal positions aligned. These storage bins 62 can temporarily store banknotes and can feed out the temporarily stored banknotes. They can store banknotes and can feed out the stored banknotes. These storage bins 62 cannot be removed from the machine body 51 and can be integrally pulled out from the machine body 51.

[0061] In the banknote processing machine 50, the storage bin 62A arranged at the rearmost side, the storage bin 62B arranged second from the rear, and the storage bin 62C arranged third from the rear all store banknotes of a single predetermined denomination without dirt in a state where they are accumulated from the bottom to the top so that they can be fed out. The storage bin 62D arranged fourth from the rear stores other predetermined banknotes in a state where they are accumulated from the bottom to the top so that they can be fed out.

[0062] The storage bin 62A stores, in a deliverable manner, a predetermined first type of banknote (e.g., a normal, non-defective current 10,000-yen note) among the banknotes that can be accepted by the banknote processing machine 50. The storage bin 62B stores a predetermined second type of banknote (e.g., a normal, non-defective current 5,000-yen note), the storage bin 62C stores a predetermined third type of banknote (e.g., a normal, non-defective current 1,000-yen note), and the storage bin 62D stores a fourth type of banknote other than the first to third types (e.g., all 2,000-yen notes, defective current 10,000-yen notes, all old 10,000-yen notes, defective current 5,000-yen notes, all old 5,000-yen notes, defective current 1,000-yen notes, and all old 1,000-yen notes). That is, the banknote processing machine 50 is provided with a plurality of storage bins 62A to 62C for normal, non-defective current banknotes of a single denomination, classified by denomination. Note that as long as a plurality of storage bins 62 are provided so that banknotes can be classified and stored, the storage pattern is not limited to the above.

[0063] At the upper part of each of the storage bins 62A to 62D, a take-in / delivery unit 63 is provided which takes in banknotes into its interior, accumulates them from the bottom upwards, separates the banknotes inside one by one from the topmost one, and delivers them at a predetermined interval. In each of the storage bins 62A to 62D, an elevator 64 (bottom) that can be raised and lowered and opened and closed to partition the internal space for storing banknotes vertically, and an elevator 65 that moves up and down within the internal space are provided.

[0064] The take-in / delivery unit 63 includes a kick-out roller 63a that abuts against the middle part in the short side direction of the topmost banknote among the banknotes accumulated on the separator 64 or the elevator 65 and kicks it out towards the outside of the storage bin 62, a delivery roller 63b that delivers the banknote kicked out by the kick-out roller 63a to the outside of the storage bin 62, and a separation roller 63c that separates the banknotes delivered by the delivery roller 63b to the outside of the storage bin 62 one by one by stopping with respect to the delivery roller 63b. The delivery roller 63b rotates in the opposite direction to the delivery time, and sandwiches the banknote with the separation roller 63c that rotates along with it and takes it into the storage bin 62.

[0065] The separator 64 includes a pair of lifting support shafts 64a arranged horizontally at the same height and a pair of plate-shaped separator bodies 64b. One separator body 64b is supported by one lifting support shaft 64a and is rotatable about this lifting support shaft 64a. The other separator body 64b is supported by the other lifting support shaft 64a and is rotatable about this lifting support shaft 64a. When the separator 64 is in the closed state, one separator body 64b extends horizontally from one lifting support shaft 64a toward the other lifting support shaft 64a, and the other separator body 64b extends horizontally from the other lifting support shaft 64a toward one lifting support shaft 64a.

[0066] When the separator 64 is in the open state, one separator body 64b rotates 90 degrees with respect to the closed state and extends vertically downward from one lifting support shaft 64a, and the other separator body 64b rotates 90 degrees with respect to the closed state and extends vertically downward from the other lifting support shaft 64a. The pair of lifting support shafts 64a always move up and down at the same height, and the pair of separator bodies 64b operate to open synchronously and operate to close synchronously. Each separator 64 of the storage compartments 62A to 64D is driven by an individual drive mechanism, and the lifting and opening / closing are controlled independently.

[0067] When the separator 64 is in the closed state, the storage compartment 62 in which it is provided is partitioned by the separator 64 including the separator 64 into an upper temporary storage portion 66 and a storage portion 67 below the separator 64. In other words, the storage compartment 62 is divided by the separator 64 into a temporary storage portion 66 that is a temporary storage area and a storage portion 67 that is a storage area directly below it.

[0068] When in the closed state, the separator 64 forms the bottom of the temporary storage section 66, on which the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 63 are placed and stacked from the bottom upwards. At this time, the separator 64 descends according to the amount of banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 63. Also, the separator 64 raises the banknote at the uppermost position of the placed banknotes to abut against the kick-out roller 63a of the intake and payout section 63. In this state, the intake and payout section 63 separates the banknotes one by one and pays them out from the temporary storage section 66. At this time, the separator 64 ascends according to the amount of banknotes paid out by the intake and payout section 63.

[0069] When the separator 64 is in the open state, the temporary storage section 66 and the storage section 67 of the storage bin 62 where this separator 64 is provided are in a continuous state. In this state, the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 63 are placed by the elevator 65 and stacked from the bottom upwards. At this time, the elevator 65 first ascends the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 63 to the receiving position where they are received on or above the banknotes thereon, and then descends according to the amount of banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 63.

[0070] Therefore, when the separator 64 is in the open state, the storage bin 62A receives the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 63 in the continuous temporary storage section 66 and the storage section 67, accumulates them on the elevator 65 in the temporary storage section 66. Then, after the elevator 65 descends and the banknotes on the elevator 65 reach the storage section 67 and then the separator 64 is closed, the storage bin 62A is in a state where the storage section 67 stores the banknotes.

[0071] Similarly, when the separator 64 is in the open state, the storage bin 62B receives the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 63 in the continuous temporary storage section 66 and the storage section 67, accumulates them on the elevator 65 in the temporary storage section 66. Then, after the elevator 65 descends and the banknotes on the elevator 65 reach the storage section 67 and then the separator 64 is closed, the storage bin 62B is in a state where the storage section 67 stores the banknotes.

[0072] Similarly, when the separator 64 is in the open state, the storage compartment 62C receives the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout unit 63 in the continuous temporary storage unit 66 and accumulates them on the elevator 65. Then, after the elevator 65 descends and the banknotes on the elevator 65 reach the storage unit 67 and then the separator 64 is closed, the storage compartment 62C enters a state where the storage unit 67 stores the banknotes.

[0073] Similarly, when the separator 64 is in the open state, the storage compartment 62D receives the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout unit 63 in the continuous temporary storage unit 66 and accumulates them on the elevator 65. Then, after the elevator 65 descends and the banknotes on the elevator 65 reach the storage unit 67 and then the separator 64 is closed, the storage compartment 62D enters a state where the storage unit 67 stores the banknotes.

[0074] When the separator 64 is in the open state and the temporary storage unit 66 and the storage unit 67 of the storage compartment 62 provided with this separator 64 are in a continuous state, and the elevator 65 of this storage unit 67 ascends, this elevator 65 causes the uppermost banknote among the placed banknotes to abut against the kick-out roller 14a of the intake and payout unit 63. In this state, the intake and payout unit 63 separates the banknotes one by one and feeds them out from the continuous temporary storage unit 66 and the storage unit 67 in the temporary storage unit 66. At that time, the elevator 65 ascends according to the amount of banknotes fed out from the intake and payout unit 63. The elevators 65 of each of the storage compartments 62A to 62D are driven by individual drive mechanisms and are individually controlled for ascending and descending.

[0075] The storage bins 62A to 62D are each in a standby state where the elevator 65 is positioned at the lowest standby position, the banknotes on the elevator 65 are positioned below the separator 64, the separator 64 is closed, the separator 64 is positioned at a predetermined standby position in the upper part, and the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout unit 63 can start to be accumulated on the separator 64. Therefore, when the storage bins 62A to 62D are each in the standby state, the temporary storage unit 66 is empty. The standby state of the storage bins 62A to 62D is a storage acceptance state for accepting stored banknotes into the temporary storage unit 66.

[0076] Also, each of the plurality of storage bins 62A to 62D is in a state of feeding out the banknotes placed on the separator 64 of the temporary storage unit 66, where the elevator 65 is positioned at the lowest standby position, the separator 64 is closed, and the banknotes at the uppermost position on the separator 64 are brought into contact with the kick-out roller 63a of the intake and payout unit 63, which is a state of feeding out stored banknotes.

[0077] Also, each of the plurality of storage bins 62A to 62D is in a state of directly accepting and storing banknotes into the continuous temporary storage unit 66 and the storage unit 67, where the separator 64 is opened and the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout unit 63 are accumulated on the elevator 65 or on the banknotes at the uppermost position on the elevator 65. Each of the plurality of storage bins 62A to 62D opens the separator 64 and accepts banknotes on the elevator 65, and then lowers the elevator 65. When all the banknotes on the elevator 65 are positioned below the open separator 64, the separator 64 is closed. In this state, the banknotes are stored in the storage unit 67. Each of the storage units 67 of the plurality of storage bins 62A to 62D accepts and stores banknotes through the temporary storage unit 66 in an open state above.

[0078] Further, each of the plurality of storage bins 62A to 62D is in a storage and receiving state where the banknotes that have been stored on the separator 64 of the temporary storage unit 66 and are dropped by the opening operation of the separator 64 can be accumulated on the elevator 65 or on top of the banknotes at the uppermost position on the elevator 65, and the banknotes placed on the separator 64 of the temporary storage unit 66 are received on the elevator 65 of the storage unit 67.

[0079] Further, each of the plurality of storage bins 62A to 62D is in a state where the separator 64 is opened and the banknote at the uppermost position on the elevator 65 is brought into contact with the kick-out roller 63a of the take-in and pay-out unit 63, and is in a state of paying out the banknotes stored in the storage unit 67 through the temporary storage unit 66.

[0080] As described above, above each storage unit 67 of the plurality of storage bins 62A to 62D, a temporary storage unit 66 is provided where the separator 64, which is the bottom, can be opened and closed and temporarily stores banknotes so that they can be paid out. Also, each storage unit 67 of the plurality of storage bins 62A to 62D will receive and store banknotes through the temporary storage unit 66 above where the separator 64 is in an open state. In other words, each storage unit 67 of the plurality of storage bins 62A to 62D will receive and store banknotes through the temporary storage unit 66 above where the separator 64, which is the bottom, is in an open state.

[0081] The storage bins 62A to 62D can be integrally pulled out laterally from the machine body 51, and in the state of being integrally pulled out from the machine body 51, the temporary storage unit 66 can be opened and closed. Each of the storage bins 62A to 62D can take out the banknotes temporarily stored in the temporary storage unit 66 to the outside when the temporary storage unit 66 is opened. Note that even if the temporary storage unit 66 of the storage bins 62A to 62D is opened, if the separator 64 is in a closed state, the banknotes stored in the storage unit 67 below this separator 64 cannot be taken out from the temporary storage unit 66 side.

[0082] At the lower part of the banknote processing machine 50, in front of the storage 62D, there is provided a cassette 68 as a batch temporary storage unit for temporarily storing receivable banknotes that can be received by the banknote processing machine 50 during deposit processing in a denomination-mixed manner. The cassette 68 is removable from the machine body 51, takes in and stores banknotes fed out from the storage parts 67 by denomination during recovery processing, and during replenishment processing, replenishment banknotes are loaded outside the machine and the loaded banknotes are fed out. The cassettes 68 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction with the same vertical and horizontal positions as the storage 62A - 62D by denomination. The cassette 68 has a banknote storage capacity larger than the respective storage capacities of the storage 62A - 62D.

[0083] The cassette 68 temporarily stores banknotes in a state of being stacked from bottom to top in a denomination-mixed manner, and stores the temporarily stored banknotes so that they can be fed out later. At its upper part, there is provided a take-in and feed-out unit 69 that takes in banknotes inside and separates the banknotes inside one by one from the uppermost one and feeds them out at a predetermined interval. In the cassette 68, there are provided a separator 70 (bottom) that can be lifted and lowered and opened and closed to partition the internal space for storing banknotes vertically, and an elevator 71 that moves up and down inside the internal space.

[0084] The take-in and feed-out unit 69 includes a kick-out roller 69a that abuts against the middle part in the short side direction of the uppermost banknote among the banknotes stacked on the separator 70 or the elevator 71 and kicks it out toward the outside of the cassette 68, a feed-out roller 69b that feeds out the banknote kicked out by the kick-out roller 69a to the outside of the cassette 68, and a separation roller 69c that separates the banknotes fed out by the feed-out roller 69b to the outside of the cassette 68 one by one by stopping with respect to the feed-out roller 69b. The feed-out roller 69b rotates in the opposite direction to this feeding-out time, and sandwiches the banknotes with the accompanying separation roller 69c and takes them into the cassette 68.

[0085] The separator 70 includes a pair of lifting support shafts 70a arranged horizontally at the same height and a pair of plate-shaped separator bodies 70b. One of the separator bodies 70b is supported by one of the lifting support shafts 70a and is rotatable about this lifting support shaft 70a. The other separator body 70b is supported by the other lifting support shaft 70a and is rotatable about this lifting support shaft 70a. When the separator 70 is in the closed state, one of the separator bodies 70b extends horizontally from one of the lifting support shafts 70a toward the other lifting support shaft 70a, and the other separator body 70b extends horizontally from the other lifting support shaft 70a toward one of the lifting support shafts 70a.

[0086] When the separator 70 is in the open state, one of the separator bodies 70b rotates 90 degrees with respect to the closed state and extends vertically downward from one of the lifting support shafts 70a, and the other separator body 70b rotates 90 degrees with respect to the closed state and extends vertically downward from the other lifting support shaft 70a. The pair of lifting support shafts 70a always move up and down at the same height, and the pair of separator bodies 70b operate to open synchronously and operate to close synchronously. The separator 70 of the cassette 68 is driven by a drive mechanism different from that of each separator 64 of the storage compartments 62A to 62D, and its lifting and opening / closing are controlled independently.

[0087] When the separator 70 is in the closed state, the cassette 68 is partitioned by the separator 70 including the separator 70 into an upper temporary storage portion 72 and a storage portion 73 below the separator 70. In other words, the cassette 68 is divided by the separator 70 into a temporary storage portion 72 which is a temporary storage area and a storage portion 73 which is a storage area directly below it.

[0088] When the separator 70 is in the closed state, it forms the bottom of the temporary storage section 72, on which the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 69 are placed and stacked from bottom to top. At this time, the separator 70 descends according to the amount of banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 69. Also, the separator 70 raises the uppermost banknote among the placed banknotes and makes it contact the ejection roller 69a of the intake and payout section 69. In this state, the intake and payout section 69 separates the banknotes one by one and feeds them out from the temporary storage section 72. At this time, the separator 70 ascends according to the amount of banknotes fed out by the intake and payout section 69.

[0089] When the separator 70 is in the open state, the temporary storage section 72 of the cassette 68 and the storage section 73 are in a continuous state. In this state, the elevator 71 places the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 69 and stacks them from bottom to top. At this time, the elevator 71 first ascends to the receiving position where it receives the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 69 above or on top of the banknotes thereon, and then descends according to the amount of banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 69.

[0090] When the separator 70 of the cassette 68 is in the open state, the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 69 are received in the temporary storage section 72 of the continuous temporary storage section 72 and the storage section 73 and stacked on the elevator 71. Then, after the elevator 71 descends and the banknotes on the elevator 71 reach the storage section 73 and then the separator 70 is closed, the cassette 68 is in a state where the storage section 73 stores the banknotes.

[0091] When the separator 70 is in the open state and the temporary storage section 72 and the storage section 73 of the cassette 68 are continuous, when the elevator 71 in the storage section 73 rises, this elevator 71 causes the uppermost banknote among the placed banknotes to abut against the kick-out roller 69a of the intake and payout section 69. In this state, the intake and payout section 69 separates the banknotes one by one and feeds them out from the continuous temporary storage section 72 and storage section 73 in the temporary storage section 72. At that time, the elevator 71 rises according to the amount of banknotes fed out from the intake and payout section 69. The elevator 71 of the cassette 68 is driven by a drive mechanism different from the respective elevators 65 of the storage bins 62A to 62D, and its lifting is controlled independently.

[0092] The cassette 68 positions the elevator 71 at the lowermost standby position, positions the banknotes on the elevator 71 below the separator 70, closes the separator 70, positions the separator 70 at a predetermined standby position in the upper part, and the state where the banknotes taken in by the intake and payout section 69 can start to accumulate on the separator 70 is the standby state. Therefore, when the cassette 68 is in the standby state, the temporary storage section 72 is empty. The standby state of the cassette 68 is a storage acceptance state for accepting stored banknotes into the temporary storage section 72.

[0093] Also, the cassette 68 is in a state of feeding out the banknotes placed on the separator 70 in the temporary storage section 72, where the elevator 71 is positioned at the lowermost standby position, the separator 70 is closed, and the uppermost banknote on the separator 70 is brought into contact with the kick-out roller 69a of the intake and payout section 69, which is the stored banknote feeding-out state.

[0094] Further, when the cassette 68 opens the separator 70 and accumulates the banknotes taken in by the intake and delivery unit 69 on the elevator 71 or on top of the banknotes at the uppermost position on the elevator 71, the continuous temporary storage unit 72 and the storage unit 73 are in a direct storage acceptance state of accepting banknotes in the temporary storage unit 72. After the cassette 68 opens the separator 70 and accepts banknotes on the elevator 71, when the elevator 71 is lowered and all the banknotes on the elevator 71 are positioned below the open separator 70, the separator 70 is closed. In this state, the banknotes are stored in the storage unit 73. Therefore, the storage unit 73 accepts and stores banknotes through the upper temporary storage unit 72 in a state where the separator 70 at the bottom is open.

[0095] Also, when the cassette 68 opens the separator 70 and brings the banknotes at the uppermost position on the elevator 71 into contact with the kick-out roller 69a of the intake and delivery unit 69, it is in a state of delivering the banknotes stored in the storage unit 73 through the temporary storage unit 72, which is a state of delivering stored banknotes.

[0096] As described above, above the storage unit 73 of the cassette 68, a temporary storage unit 72 is provided where the separator 70 at the bottom can be opened and closed and temporarily stores banknotes so that they can be delivered. Also, when the cassette 68 opens the separator 70, it stores the banknotes taken in by the intake and delivery unit 69 in the storage unit 73 below the separator 70 through the temporary storage unit 72. In other words, below the separator 70, which is the bottom of the temporary storage unit 72, a storage unit 73 is provided that accepts and stores banknotes through the temporary storage unit 72 in a state where the separator 70 is open.

[0097] Inside the banknote processing machine 50, a transport unit 74 for transporting banknotes including the banknotes fed out by the deposit feeding unit 54 from the deposit slot 52 is provided so as to appropriately connect each part. The transport unit 74 moves the banknotes basically in a posture with its short side along the transport direction.

[0098] The conveying unit 74 is provided with a conveying path 74A that conveys banknotes at the bill insertion slot 52 provided at the front of the machine body 51 toward the identification unit 56 provided at the rear of the machine body 51, and further conveys them toward the cassette 68 provided at the front of the machine body 51. The conveying path 74A extends rearward from the bill feeding and discharging unit 54 at the bill insertion slot 52 to between the conveying path 74J and the conveying path 74M described later, then extends downward, and then extends rearward, passes through the identification unit 56, turns forward at the lower side and extends forward, extends downward from the front end of the banknote processing machine 50, and is connected to the cassette 68 at the intake and payout unit 69.

[0099] Also, the conveying unit 74 includes a conveying path 74C that branches downward from between the connection position to the cassette 68 and the identification unit 56 in the conveying path 74A and is connected to the intake and payout unit 63 of the storage 62A, a conveying path 74D that branches downward from between the connection position to the cassette 68 and the branching position of the conveying path 74C in the conveying path 74A and is connected to the intake and payout unit 63 of the storage 62B, a conveying path 74E that branches downward from between the connection position to the cassette 68 and the branching position of the conveying path 74D in the conveying path 74A and is connected to the intake and payout unit 63 of the storage 62C, and a conveying path 74F that branches downward from between the connection position to the cassette 68 and the branching position of the conveying path 74E in the conveying path 74A and is connected to the intake and payout unit 63 of the storage 62D.

[0100] Also, the conveying unit 74 includes a conveying path 74G that branches upward from the closest side to the cassette 68 in the conveying path 74A, then extends rearward and is connected to the lower part of the portion that extends downward while going from the bill insertion slot 52 of the conveying path 74A toward the identification unit 56, a conveying path 74H that branches upward from a position between the branching position of the conveying path 74F and the branching position of the conveying path 74G in the conveying path 74A and is connected to an intermediate position of the conveying path 74G, and a conveying path 74J that branches upward from a position between the connection position of the conveying path 74H and the connection position to the rear conveying path 74A in the conveying path 74G and is connected between the rear connection position of the conveying path 74G in the conveying path 74A and the entrance sensor 55.

[0101] Further, the conveying unit 74 has a conveying path 74L that branches rearward between the connection position of the conveying path 74J in the conveying path 74A and the connection position at the rear of the conveying path 74G, then extends upward, and then extends forward to connect to the payout port 53.

[0102] Also, the conveying unit 74 includes a conveying path 74M that branches upward between the connection position at the rear of the conveying path 74G in the conveying path 74A and the discrimination unit 56 and is connected to an intermediate position of the conveying path 74L, and a conveying path 74N that branches between the branching position of the conveying path 74M in the conveying path 74A and the discrimination unit 7 and connects to an intermediate position of the conveying path 74M. A front-back reversing unit 75 for reversing the front and back of the banknote is provided in the conveying path 74N.

[0103] Also, the conveying unit 74 includes a conveying path 74P that branches rearward between the payout port 4 in the conveying path 74L and the merging position of the conveying path 74M and connects to the alignment unit 57, and a conveying path 74Q that branches rearward between the branching position of the conveying path 74P in the conveying path 74L and the merging position of the conveying path 74M and connects to the alignment unit 58.

[0104] The discrimination unit 56 discriminates the banknotes conveyed by the conveying unit 74, and the storage bins 62A to 62D and the cassette 68 store the banknotes discriminated by the discrimination unit 56 in a payable manner based on the discrimination result of the discrimination unit 56.

[0105] The banknote processing machine 50 includes an operation display unit 76 that receives operation inputs from the operator and displays information to the operator, and a control unit 77 that controls each of the components constituting the banknote processing machine 50.

[0106] Incidentally, when an error such as jam occurs, the operator opens the drawer unit 78 as the opening / closing part surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 3 with respect to the machine body 51 as the fixing part and visually checks whether there is any paper money remaining in the machine body 51. However, there is a risk of overlooking the paper money remaining in the dead corner area BS generated inside the machine body 51. Here, the "fixing part" is not a component that serves as a reference when the opening / closing part opens and closes, and whose position is absolutely fixed. Further, the "dead corner area BS" means an area inside the machine body 51 that is difficult for the operator to visually check, such as being hidden in the shade.

[0107] FIG. 4 shows a state in which the operator can access the inside of the machine body 51 when the drawer unit 78 is opened from the machine body 51. In FIG. 4, the back side of the accommodation space S in which the drawer unit 78 can be accommodated inside the machine body 51 corresponds to the "dead corner area BS".

[0108] In order to prevent overlooking of the paper money in the above-described dead corner area BS, as shown in FIG. 3, the banknote processing machine 50 includes a detection unit 79 capable of detecting the opening degree of the drawer unit 78 with respect to the machine body 51, and an illumination unit 80 that irradiates light toward the dead corner area.

[0109] The detection unit 79 detects the opening degree at which the drawer unit 78 is pulled out with respect to the machine body 51. For the detection unit 79, for example, a photointerrupter attached to the drawer unit 78 to measure the opening degree, or a proximity sensor attached to the machine body 51 to detect that the drawer unit 78 has separated, etc. can be considered.

[0110] The opening degree detected by the detection unit 79 is not limited to two stages of opening and closing. For example, it is preferably set to three stages. The three-stage opening degree is divided into three stages: the closed state in which the drawer unit 78 is housed in the machine body 51, the fully open state in which the drawer unit 78 is released from the machine body 51, or the open state from the closed state to the fully open state. Here, the "fully open state" means a state in which the drawer unit 78 is released from the machine body 51 to such an extent that the visibility of the blind spot area BS can be ensured, and does not necessarily mean only a state in which the entire drawer unit 78 is pulled out from the machine body 51.

[0111] The lighting unit 80 is preferably a planar light-emitting lighting such as an LED chip or a COB (Chip On Board) LED, but is not limited thereto. In FIG. 4, the lighting unit 80 is disposed on the inner ceiling surface of the accommodation space S, but it may be provided at any position as long as it can irradiate the blind spot area BS with light. Further, the lighting unit 80 preferably includes a rotation mechanism or a swing mechanism that can adjust the direction in order to adjust the irradiation range of the light.

[0112] Further, the lighting unit 80 is preferably detachably attached to the machine body 51 by, for example, a magnet or a surface fastener. Thereby, instead of providing a fixed lighting unit 80 near all the blind spot areas BS in the banknote processing machine 50, by providing a detachable lighting unit 80 near an arbitrary blind spot area BS, the number of installed lighting units 80 can be reduced. Further, the detachable lighting unit 80 can also be used as a handy light for illuminating the blind spot area BS by constantly lighting it in the removed state.

[0113] The control unit 77 determines whether to irradiate light in different modes or not to irradiate light at each opening degree of the closed state, the open state, or the fully open state detected by the detection unit 79. Here, the "mode of light" is the color of the light irradiated by the lighting unit 80 or the emission time when the lighting unit 80 lights or blinks the light.

[0114] The control unit 77 preferably irradiates light in the most visible mode at the opening degree of the fully open state. For example, the control unit 77 controls the light of the lighting unit 80 to turn on in the fully open state, blink or turn off in the open state, and turn off in the closed state. Alternatively, the control unit 77 may control the light color of the lighting unit 80 to be a highly visible color with high brightness such as white in the fully open state, a warning color with low brightness such as red or orange in the open state, and turn off in the closed state. In this way, by irradiating light in different modes or switching off the light in the closed state, open state, and fully open state, the operator can grasp the opening degree of the drawer unit 78.

[0115] In this way, the banknote processing machine 50 according to the present embodiment includes a machine body 51 and a drawer unit 78 that is provided to be openable and closable with respect to the machine body 51 and allows the operator to access the accommodation space S inside the machine body 51 when opened. The banknote processing machine 50 is configured to include a detection unit 79 capable of detecting the opening degree at which the drawer unit 78 is pulled out with respect to the machine body 51, a lighting unit 80 that irradiates light to the dead angle area BS of the accommodation space S, and a control unit 77 that determines whether to irradiate light according to the opening degree of the drawer unit 78 and irradiates light at least when the opening degree of the drawer unit 78 is in the fully open state.

[0116] With such a configuration, the lighting unit 80 irradiates light toward the dead angle area BS according to the opening degree at which the drawer unit 78 opens with respect to the machine body 51, improving the visibility of the dead angle area BS during error recovery operations such as jams and suppressing overlooking of banknotes.

[0117] Further, the opening degree of the banknote processing machine 50 is divided into a fully open state, a closed state in which the drawer unit 78 is housed in the machine body 51, or an open state from the closed state to the fully open state. The control unit 77 is configured to determine whether to irradiate light in different modes or not irradiate light at each opening degree of the closed state, open state, or fully open state.

[0118] With such a configuration, the lighting unit 80 irradiates light in different modes or switches off the light according to the opening degrees in three steps, so that the operator can grasp the opening degree of the drawer unit 78 and is urged to open the drawer unit 78 to the fully open state. Therefore, the restoration work can be carried out with high visibility in the dead angle area BS, and the oversight of banknotes can be further suppressed.

[0119] Further, the banknote processing machine 50 is configured such that the control unit 77 irradiates light in the mode with the highest visibility at the opening degree in the fully open state.

[0120] With such a configuration, the visibility of the dead angle area BS in the accommodation space S is improved during the restoration work, so that the oversight of banknotes can be further suppressed.

[0121] Further, the present invention can be variously modified other than the above as long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention, and it is natural that the present invention extends to the modified ones. Also, the above-described embodiments may be combined with each other.

Explanation of Signs

[0122] 10: Coin processing machine 17: Passage surface 18c: Third straight part 22: Downstream conveying belt (opening / closing part) 31: Pulley 32: Pulley 33: Conveying drive motor 34: Drive shaft 46: Control unit 47: Detection unit 48: Lighting unit 50: Banknote processing machine 51: Machine body 77: Control unit 78: Drawer unit (opening / closing part) 79: Detection unit 80: Lighting unit BS: Dead angle area S: Accommodation space

Claims

1. A currency processing device comprising a fixed part and an opening / closing part provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the fixed part, and when the opening / closing part is opened, an operator can access the fixed part. A detection part capable of detecting the degree of opening of the opening / closing part with respect to the fixed part. An illumination part that irradiates light to a blind area of the fixed part. A control part that determines whether or not to irradiate the light according to the degree of opening of the opening / closing part, and lights the light at least when the degree of opening of the opening / closing part is a fully open state in which the opening / closing part is opened from the fixed part, and blinks the light when the opening / closing part is in an open state from a closed state in which the opening / closing part is closed with respect to the fixed part to the fully open state. A currency processing device characterized by comprising the above.

2. A currency processing device comprising a fixed part and an opening / closing part provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the fixed part, and when the opening / closing part is opened, an operator can access the fixed part. A detection part capable of detecting the degree of opening of the opening / closing part with respect to the fixed part. An illumination part that irradiates light to a blind area of the fixed part. A control part that determines whether or not to irradiate the light according to the degree of opening of the opening / closing part, and irradiates the light of a color with high brightness at least when the degree of opening of the opening / closing part is a fully open state in which the opening / closing part is opened from the fixed part, and irradiates the light of a warning color with low brightness when the opening / closing part is in an open state from a closed state in which the opening / closing part is closed with respect to the fixed part to the fully open state. A currency processing device characterized by comprising the above.

3. The currency processing device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a locking mechanism that locks the opening / closing part so that the opening / closing part does not close by its own weight in the fully open state.

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