Banknote handling equipment

Abstract

To allow easy removal of banknotes stuck in a transport unit.SOLUTION: A banknote deposit / withdrawal device 11 includes: a transport unit 26 that is connected to a banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 and that includes an identification unit 28 and transports banknotes; a banknote storage compartment 15a connected to the transport unit 26 and a banknote storage compartment 15b located behind the banknote storage compartment 15a; a reject collection vault 30 connected to the transport unit 26 via a branch between the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 and the identification unit 28 in the transport unit 26 and containing banknotes; an upper transport unit 64 located above the transport unit 26 and movable between a transport unit closed state in which the transport unit 26 is closed to transport banknotes and a transport unit open state in which the transport unit 26 is open to transport banknotes; and a change control unit 21 that controls the banknote to run back toward the identification unit 28 if the banknote is stuck while being transported from the transport unit 26 to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 or the reject collection vault 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a banknote processing device, and is suitable for application to a cash register change system used at checkout counters in retail stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, cash register change systems that combine a change machine that processes the deposit and withdrawal of banknotes and coins with a POS (Point Of Sales) register connected to a POS system or the like have become widespread. Among these change machines, some banknote deposit and withdrawal devices that serve as banknote processing devices that process banknotes include a deposit and withdrawal unit that exchanges banknotes with a cashier, a transport unit that transports banknotes, a discrimination unit that discriminates the denomination and authenticity of inserted banknotes, a banknote storage vault that stores reusable banknotes by denomination, and a reject vault that stores banknotes that should not be reused (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-17013 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such a bill deposit and withdrawal device, it is desirable to be able to easily remove bills that have become stuck inside.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a bill processing device that can easily remove bills jammed inside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve this problem, the banknote processing device of the present invention comprises a depositing / withdrawing unit that delivers and receives banknotes to and from an operator, a transport unit that is connected to the depositing / withdrawing unit and includes a validator that validates banknotes, and that transports banknotes taken in from the depositing / withdrawing unit to the interior and transports banknotes from the interior to the depositing / withdrawing unit, a first storage unit that is connected to the transport unit and arranged behind the depositing / withdrawing unit to store banknotes, a second storage unit that is connected to the transport unit and arranged behind the first storage unit to store banknotes, a third storage unit that is connected to the transport unit via a branch unit provided between the depositing / withdrawing unit and the validator in the transport unit and stores banknotes, an upper transport unit that is arranged above the transport unit and is movable between a closed state in which the transport unit is closed to transport banknotes and an open state in which the transport unit is opened, and a transport unit that reverses the banknote toward the validator when a banknote becomes jammed while being transported from the transport unit to the depositing / withdrawing unit or the third storage unit. If the bill is detected by the discriminating unit while the bill is being run in reverse, the reverse running of the bill is stopped. A control unit is provided to control the

[0007] The banknote processing device of the present invention also includes a deposit / withdrawal unit having a banknote storage space for storing banknotes and for transferring banknotes to and from an operator, a transport unit connected to the deposit / withdrawal unit and including a discrimination unit for discriminating banknotes, for transporting banknotes taken in from the deposit / withdrawal unit to the interior and for transporting banknotes from the interior to the deposit / withdrawal unit, a first storage unit connected to the transport unit and disposed behind the deposit / withdrawal unit for storing banknotes, and a second storage unit connected to the transport unit and disposed behind the first storage unit for storing banknotes. The system is provided with a storage cabinet, a third storage cabinet connected to the conveying section via a branch section provided between the deposit / withdrawal section and the discrimination section in the conveying section and storing banknotes, an upper conveying section arranged above the conveying section and movable between a closed state in which the conveying section is blocked to convey banknotes and an open state in which the conveying section is opened, and a control section that controls the banknotes to run in the opposite direction toward the banknote storage space if they become jammed while being conveyed from the deposit / withdrawal section toward the conveying section.

[0008] As a result, the present invention can move banknotes jammed inside to a position that is easily accessible from the outside, making it easier to remove them from the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a banknote processing device that can easily remove banknotes that have become jammed inside. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a cash register change system. [Figure 2] 1 is a right side view showing the internal configuration of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device with the transport unit closed. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a right side view showing the internal configuration of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device in a transport unit open state. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a deposit processing procedure. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a right side view showing the transport (1) of banknotes during a deposit process. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a right side view showing the transport (2) of banknotes during a deposit process. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a right side view showing the transport (3) of banknotes during a deposit process. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a right side view showing the transport (4) of banknotes during a deposit process. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a right side view showing the transport (5) of banknotes during deposit processing. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a withdrawal process procedure. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a right side view showing the transport (1) of banknotes during a dispensing process. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a right side view showing the transport (2) of banknotes during a dispensing process. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a right side view showing the transport (3) of banknotes during a dispensing process. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a right side view showing the transport (4) of banknotes during a dispensing process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [1. Configuration of cash register change system] As shown externally in Figure 1, cash register change system 1 is made up of an upper POS register 2 and a lower change dispenser 3, which are independent devices. This cash register change system 1 is a cash register operated by a cashier when a customer pays for products they wish to purchase at a cash register (a so-called cash register) in a retail store such as a supermarket or convenience store. In the following explanation, the side facing the cashier (hereinafter also referred to as the user) and the opposite side are referred to as the front and rear, respectively, and left, right, and top and bottom are further defined from the user's perspective.

[0013] The POS register 2 is controlled by a built-in register control unit 5. A barcode reader (not shown) is connected to the POS register 2, which recognizes products by reading barcodes attached to them. The display / operation unit 6 is composed of a display unit such as an LCD display and an operation unit such as a touch panel placed over the LCD display. The display / operation unit 6 displays the recognized product name, price, etc. on the LCD display. The display / operation unit 6 also displays input keys for numbers and other items on part of the display screen. When a location on the touch panel corresponding to an input key is pressed, the input corresponding to the input key is accepted and transmitted to the register control unit 5. In response, the register control unit 5 performs various processes, such as increasing or decreasing the quantity of a product or correcting the price. The POS register 2 also has a built-in receipt processing unit 7. The receipt processing unit 7 prints the recognized product name, price, etc. on a receipt and discharges it from the receipt discharge port 7A.

[0014] On the other hand, the change machine 3 is broadly composed of a banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 on the right side, a coin deposit and withdrawal device 12 on the left side, and a display and operation unit 13 on the upper front side.

[0015] The banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 takes in banknotes inserted by a user into the banknote deposit and withdrawal port 14 and stores them in the banknote storage vault 15 (banknote storage vaults 15a, 15b, and 15c) (Figure 2), and also takes out banknotes instructed by the cash register control unit 5 from the banknote storage vault 15 (Figure 2) and dispenses them as change from the banknote deposit and withdrawal port 14.

[0016] A coin deposit port 16 is provided on the upper stage on the front surface of the coin depositing and dispensing device 12, and a reject port 17 and a coin withdrawal port 18 are provided below it. The coin depositing and dispensing device 12 takes in coins inserted by a user into the coin deposit port 16 and stores them in an internal storage, and also dispenses coins of a denomination and number according to the amount instructed by the cash register control unit 5 from the coin withdrawal port 18 as change.

[0017] The display operation unit 13 is configured by a combination of a predetermined display panel and predetermined operation buttons. The display panel of the display operation unit 13 displays the operating status of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 and the coin deposit and withdrawal device 12, and displays, for example, that there is a shortage of coins for change in the coin deposit and withdrawal device 12, that a predetermined sensor has detected an abnormality, and the location of the abnormality. The operation buttons of the display operation unit 13 are pressed by the user to receive instructions, for example, regarding the transport of coins, etc.

[0018] A change control unit 21 is also provided inside the change machine 3. The change control unit 21 is configured around a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown, and controls the change machine 3 overall by reading and executing various programs from a memory such as a flash memory, and performs various processes such as deposit transactions and withdrawal transactions.

[0019] [2. Configuration of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device] As shown in Figure 2, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 incorporates multiple parts that perform various processes related to banknotes, and the change control unit 21 (Figure 1) controls each part (banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24, transport unit 26, discrimination unit 28, banknote storage vault 15 (banknote storage vaults 15a, 15b, and 15c), and reject collection vault 30).

[0020] The banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24 is located at the upper front part of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11. This banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24 takes in banknotes deposited by a user into the banknote deposit and withdrawal port 14 (FIG. 1), separates them one by one, and feeds them to the transport unit 26, and also stores banknotes to be dispensed to the user on the deposit and withdrawal unit stage 38 in the banknote storage space 39 in a state where the paper surface is stacked up and down, i.e., aligned along the up and down direction, and dispenses them from the banknote deposit and withdrawal port 14 as change.

[0021] In the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, a feed-out stacking unit 40 is provided near the first transport unit 26a and the feed-out stacking port that transfers banknotes. The feed-out stacking unit 40 is made up of a pickup roller 41, a feed-out stacking roller 42, and a stacking roller 45, and is driven by a deposit / withdrawal unit feed-out stacking drive motor (not shown). The pickup roller 41 is provided above the banknote storage space 39, which is a space that stores banknotes in the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, so as to face the upper surface of the deposit / withdrawal unit stage 38, and a high-friction material with a high friction coefficient, such as rubber, is attached to part of its outer circumferential surface. The pickup roller 41 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2 (the feed direction), thereby sending banknotes on the deposit / withdrawal unit stage 38 that have been inserted from the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14 (FIG. 1) during the deposit process toward the transport unit 26. The feeding / accumulating roller 42 is composed of a feed roller 43 and a gate roller 44, and the banknotes fed by the pickup roller 41 are separated one by one by the gate roller 44, and then fed to the conveying section 26 by the feed roller 43. The feed roller 43 is provided downstream of the pickup roller 41 in the banknote feeding direction, and has a high-friction material with a high friction coefficient, such as rubber, attached to part of its outer circumferential surface. The feed roller 43 rotates counterclockwise (feeding direction) in FIG. 2 to feed the banknotes fed by the pickup roller 41 to the conveying section 26 through the accumulation / feeding port. On the other hand, when returning banknotes to the banknote storage space 39, the feed roller 43 rotates clockwise (accumulation direction) in FIG. 2 to return the banknotes from the conveying section 26 to the banknote storage space 39. The gate roller 44 is disposed below and opposite the feed roller 43, and does not rotate when banknotes are fed out, thereby separating the banknotes sent out from the banknote storage space 39 one by one, but when returning the banknotes to the banknote storage space 39, it rotates together with the feed roller 43, thereby returning the banknotes from the transport unit 26 into the banknote storage space 39. The accumulation roller 45 is disposed below the feed roller 43, on the front side that is downstream of the gate roller 44 in the transport direction of banknotes during a dispensing process, and rotates counterclockwise in Figure 2 (accumulation direction), thereby accumulating in the banknote storage space 39 the banknotes that have been transported from the transport unit 26 and are to be discharged from the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14 during a dispensing process.A plurality of tongues made of an elastic material such as rubber are provided at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction on the accumulation roller shaft, which is the rotation shaft of the accumulation roller 45. These tongues rotate counterclockwise in Figure 2 together with the accumulation roller 45, thereby striking the rear end portion of the banknote sent to the banknote storage space 39, and causing the banknote to be accumulated on the deposit / withdrawal section stage 38.

[0022] Conveyance unit 26 conveys rectangular banknotes in the direction of their short edges along a conveyance path using rollers, belts, etc. Blades 35 (blades 35a, 35b, and 35c) are provided at branching points of conveyance unit 26, and rotate under the control of change control unit 21 (Fig. 1) to switch the destination of the banknotes.

[0023] The validator 28 is located behind the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 and in front of the banknote storage vault 15b. While transporting deposited, dispensed, and collected banknotes inside, the validator 28 uses optical elements (shown as two triangles facing each other above and below in FIG. 2), magnetic detection elements, etc. to recognize the denomination, authenticity, fitness (whether damaged), and transport status of the banknotes, and notifies the change control unit 21 of the validation results. In response, the change control unit 21 determines the destination of the banknotes based on the obtained validation results.

[0024] The reject collection box 30 is provided in the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 near the front end and adjacent below the banknote deposit and withdrawal section 24, and has a banknote storage space therein for collecting and storing banknotes. The reject collection box 30 is an integrated storage box in which an upper reject box 31 and a lower collection box 32 are integrated and the spaces between them are separated by a reject stage 33, and is a detachable storage box that is detachable from the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11. When storing banknotes in the collection box 32, the reject collection box 30 lifts the rear end of the reject stage 33 to enable the banknote to be transported from the third transport section 26c to the collection box 32, while when storing banknotes in the reject collection box 31, the rear end of the reject stage 33 is lowered to enable the banknote to be transported from the third transport section 26c to the reject collection box 31.

[0025] When non-reusable banknotes that have been determined not to be reused, such as banknotes that have been identified as damaged banknotes (so-called damaged notes), banknotes that have been determined to be counterfeit, or banknotes of denominations that are not recycled, such as 5,000 and 2,000 notes, are transported by the third transport unit 26c, the reject vault 31 stores the non-reusable banknotes. Furthermore, when the reject vault 31 transports a banknote that has been determined by the validation unit 28 and the change control unit 21 to have been skewed (transported at a greater angle than normal) or has been transported with multiple banknotes overlapping each other, the reject vault 31 stores the banknote inside. When a collection process is performed to collect some or all of the banknotes stored in the banknote storage 15 as sales proceeds, etc., the collection box 32 stores the banknotes inside when they are transported by the third transport section 26c.

[0026] An accumulation roller 50 is provided in the reject collection box 30 near a stacking port that receives banknotes from the third transport unit 26c. The accumulation roller 50 is composed of a tension roller 51 and a feed roller 52, and is driven by an accumulation drive motor (not shown). The tension roller 51 rotates clockwise (accumulation direction) in FIG. 2 to accumulate banknotes transported from the third transport unit 26c in the reject collection box 31 or the collection box 32. The feed roller 52 is disposed below and facing the tension roller 51, and rotates counterclockwise (accumulation direction) in FIG. 2 to accumulate banknotes transported from the third transport unit 26c in the reject collection box 31 or the collection box 32. A feed roller shaft, which is the rotation shaft of the feed roller 52, has a plurality of tongues made of an elastic material such as rubber, which are provided at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. 2 together with the feed roller 52, the tongue strikes the rear end portion of the banknote sent to the banknote storage space of the reject box 31 or the collection box 32, causing the banknote to be accumulated on the reject stage 33 or the bottom plate of the collection box 32. On the other hand, when returning the banknote to the transport section 26, the accumulation roller 50 returns the banknote from the accumulation roller 50 to the transport section 26 by rotating the tension roller 51 and the feed roller 52 counterclockwise (feeding direction) and clockwise (feeding direction) in FIG.

[0027] Behind the rejected bill collection box 30, banknote storage boxes 15a, 15b, and 15c are provided in this order from front to rear. Each banknote storage box 15 (banknote storage boxes 15a, 15b, and 15c) is similarly configured, formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has an internal space for accumulating and storing banknotes. Each banknote storage box 15 is preset with a denomination of banknotes to be stored. When banknotes determined by the validator 28 and the change controller 21 to be minimally damaged and reusable are transported by the second transport unit 26b according to their denominations, the banknote storage box 15 accumulates and stores the banknotes inside. Furthermore, when the banknote storage box 15 receives an instruction to feed banknotes from the change controller 21, it separates the stored banknotes one by one, feeds them, and hands them over to the transport unit 26.

[0028] In each banknote storage vault 15, a pay-out stacking unit 60 is provided near the pay-out stacking port that transfers banknotes to the second transport unit 26b. This pay-out stacking unit 60 is configured in substantially the same manner as the pay-out stacking unit 40 in the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, and is driven by a storage vault pay-out stacking drive motor (not shown).

[0029] Furthermore, within each of the banknote storage vaults 15a, 15b, and 15c, storage vault travel sensors 80a, 80b, and 80c are disposed near a storage vault transfer section where banknotes are transferred between the second transport section 26b and the banknote storage vaults 15a, 15b, and 15c, respectively. These storage vault travel sensors 80a, 80b, and 80c detect the banknotes being transported. Hereinafter, the storage vault travel sensor 80a as the first sensor, the storage vault travel sensor 80b as the second sensor, and the storage vault travel sensor 80c are collectively referred to as the storage vault travel sensor 80. The storage vault travel sensor 80 is, for example, an optical sensor that detects the transport status of banknotes and sends the detection results to the change control unit 21. Based on the detection results provided by the storage vault travel sensor 80, the change control unit 21 detects that banknotes have been stored in each of the banknote storage vaults 15 and that banknotes have been fed from each of the banknote storage vaults 15 to the transport section 26.

[0030] In this configuration, the cash register change system 1 has the change control unit 21 controlling each unit based on the results of bill validation by the validator 28, and performs processes such as depositing, dispensing, and collecting bills.

[0031] [3. Structure of the transport unit] [3-1. Overall structure of the transport unit] In the transport unit 26, a number of rotating rollers, guides for guiding banknotes, etc. are appropriately arranged, and a linear transport path is formed so that banknotes are transported mainly in the front-to-rear direction, with the shorter edge of the banknote as the traveling direction. The transport unit 26 is also made up of a first transport unit 26a that connects the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 and the front side of the discrimination unit 28, a second transport unit 26b that transports banknotes so that they pass through the discrimination unit 28 in the front-to-rear direction and connects the rear side of the discrimination unit 28 with each of the banknote storage vaults 15a, 15b, and 15c, and a third transport unit 26c that connects the reject collection box 30 and the front side of the discrimination unit 28.

[0032] Furthermore, a plurality of transport section travel sensors that detect transported banknotes are arranged in transport section 26. The transport section travel sensors are, for example, optical sensors, similar to storage cabinet travel sensor 80, and detect the transport state of banknotes and send the detection results to change control section 21. Based on the detection results supplied from the transport section travel sensors, change control section 21 detects whether banknotes are being transported in transport section 26 or whether a jam has occurred during transport.

[0033] In the transport unit 26, mainly in the second transport unit 26b, multiple sets of transport rollers 62 are provided lined up in the front-rear direction, and a belt 74 is provided above the transport rollers 62 along the front-rear direction, and these are driven by a transport unit drive motor (not shown). The belt 74 and each transport roller 62 are arranged on the upper and lower sides, respectively, so as to face each other in the vertical direction with the transport path of the transport unit 26 between them. The upper belt 74 and the lower transport roller 62 sandwich banknotes, and transport the banknotes backward by rotating in the deposit direction, and transport the banknotes forward by rotating in the withdrawal direction. The belt 74 and transport rollers 62 of the transport unit 26, the feeding and accumulating unit 40 of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, the accumulating rollers 50 of the reject recovery box 30, and the feeding and accumulating unit 60 of the banknote storage box 15 are driven by separate drive sources and are therefore driven independently of each other.

[0034] The conveyance unit 26 also includes a plurality of switching units 34 (first switching unit 34a, second switching unit 34b, and third switching unit 34c) arranged in series from the front to the rear. These units are connected by relatively short short conveyance paths, forming a linear conveyance path along the front-to-rear direction as a whole. Each switching unit 34 includes a blade 35 (blades 35a, 35b, and 35c) shown as a triangle in the figure and a plurality of rollers arranged around it. The blade 35 is elongated in the left-right direction and has a shape resembling the capital letter "V" when viewed from the left-to-right direction. The blade 35 rotates to change its inclination direction, thereby switching the conveyance direction of the banknotes. The rollers (not shown) are arranged facing each other across the banknote conveyance path. Under the control of the change control unit 21, the switching unit 34 appropriately switches the conveyance direction of the banknotes by changing the inclination direction of the blade 35 and rotating each roller in a predetermined direction according to the destination of each banknote, thereby conveying the banknotes to the desired destination.

[0035] The first switching unit 34a switches the transport path of banknotes between two paths by changing the inclination direction of a blade 35a that is arranged between the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 and the discrimination unit 28 in the first transport unit 26a and has a tip that faces rearward. That is, the first switching unit 34a forms a transport path that connects the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 on the front side and the discrimination unit 28 on the rear side, or forms a transport path that connects the rejected collection box 30 on the front lower side and the discrimination unit 28 on the rear side. Therefore, the first switching unit 34a is a so-called two-way blade that switches the transport path of banknotes transported from rear to front within the second transport unit 26b between the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 and the rejected collection box 30.

[0036] When a dispensed banknote transported forward on the second transport unit 26b during a dispensing process is determined to be normal by the validation unit 28, the first switching unit 34a switches the transport route to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, but when the banknote is determined to be abnormal, the first switching unit 34a switches the transport route to the rejected banknote collection box 30. Furthermore, when a collected banknote transported forward on the second transport unit 26b during a collection process is determined to be normal by the validation unit 28, the first switching unit 34a switches the transport route to the rejected banknote collection box 30, but when the collected banknote is determined to be abnormal, the first switching unit 34a switches the transport route to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24.

[0037] The blade 35a is positioned between the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 and the classification unit 28, and also between the rejected collection box 30 and the classification unit 28, since the dispensed banknotes and collected banknotes need to be classified by the classification unit 28.

[0038] The second switching unit 34b is disposed approximately in the center of the second transport unit 26b in the front-to-rear direction, is formed approximately symmetrically with the first switching unit 34a, and switches between two transport paths for banknotes by changing the inclination direction of a blade 35b whose tip faces forward. That is, the second switching unit 34b switches between forming a transport path connecting the front short transport path and the rear short transport path, or forming a transport path connecting the front short transport path and the front-below banknote storage vault 15a. Therefore, the second switching unit 34b is a so-called two-way blade that switches the transport path for banknotes transported from front to rear within the second transport unit 26b between two directions: the rear banknote storage vault 15b or 15c, or the banknote storage vault 15a.

[0039] The blade 35b is positioned at a position where the deposited banknotes are sorted after being discriminated by the discriminator 28, and where the banknotes dispensed from each banknote storage 15 can always pass through the discriminator 28.

[0040] The third switching unit 34c is disposed slightly forward of the rear end of the second transport unit 26b, and switches the transport path of banknotes between two paths by changing the inclination direction of a blade 35c, the tip of which faces forward in the same manner as the second switching unit 34b. That is, the third switching unit 34c switches between forming a transport path connecting the front short transport path and the banknote storage vault 15b located below the front, and forming a transport path connecting the front short transport path and the banknote storage vault 15c located below the rear. Therefore, the third switching unit 34c is a so-called two-way blade that switches the transport path of banknotes transported from front to rear within the second transport unit 26b between the banknote storage vault 15b and the banknote storage vault 15c.

[0041] The blade 35c is located behind the blade 35b and at a position where it can distribute deposited banknotes to the banknote storage box 15b or 15c.

[0042] In this way, transport unit 26 forms a linear transport path along the front-to-rear direction by second transport unit 26b, transports banknotes mainly in the front-to-rear direction along this transport path, and switches the transport path to banknote storage vaults 15a, 15b, or 15c by second switch unit 34b and third switch unit 34c arranged at a branch point of the transport path. Also, transport unit 26 switches the transport path of banknotes transported forward by second transport unit 26b to first transport unit 26a or third transport unit 26c by first switch unit 34a.

[0043] [3-2. Configuration of the upper transport section] The conveying section 26 is mainly composed of an upper conveying section 64 on the upper side and a lower main body conveying section 66 on the lower side. The upper conveying section 64 has a shaft 72 and a belt 74, and is located above the main body conveying section 66.

[0044] The upper conveying unit 64 is rotatable about a shaft 72 from the conveying unit closed state shown in FIG. 2 to the conveying unit open direction, which is clockwise in FIG. 2 , so as to move its front end upward and rearward. The upper conveying unit 64 is also rotatable about a shaft 72 from the conveying unit open state shown in FIG. 3 to the conveying unit closed direction, which is counterclockwise in FIG. 3 , so as to move its front end downward and forward. Therefore, during a transaction operation in which a transaction is processed with a user, the upper conveying unit 64 is in the conveying unit closed state, and faces the main-body conveying unit 66 in the vertical direction, thereby guiding the conveyed banknotes. Meanwhile, during maintenance work performed by a maintenance technician or the like, an upper conveying unit lock (not shown) provided on the upper conveying unit 64 is unlocked, and the upper conveying unit 64 is rotated as necessary to the conveying unit open state, opening the main-body conveying unit 66 to the outside, thereby removing jammed banknotes between the upper conveying unit 64 and the main-body conveying unit 66. Furthermore, the upper transport unit 64 is in a lying position along a substantially horizontal direction when the transport unit is closed, and in a standing position along a substantially vertical direction when the transport unit is open. Here, the second transport unit 26b is open to the outside when the transport unit is open, so that jammed banknotes are visible and accessible from outside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11, but the first transport unit 26a and the third transport unit 26c are not open to the outside even when the transport unit is open.

[0045] [3-3. Configuration of the main body transport unit] The main body side transport unit 66 has transport rollers 62. The transport rollers 62 rotate while sandwiching the banknotes between themselves and the belt 74, thereby transporting the banknotes.

[0046] [4. Deposit Processing] Next, the specific procedure for deposit processing when the price for a product is settled using the change dispenser 3 will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 4. The change control unit 21, in cooperation with the register control unit 5 (Fig. 1) of the POS register 2, starts the deposit processing when it receives an operation input from the user via the display operation unit 13 (Fig. 1) to start the payment settlement. The banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 also sets the position of the blade 35a (Fig. 2) to a state that forms a transport path connecting the discrimination unit 28 and the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24. The change control unit 21 starts the deposit processing procedure RT1 by reading and executing a deposit processing program from a memory unit (not shown), and proceeds to step SP1.

[0047] In step SP1, the change control unit 21 separates the banknotes inserted into the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 one by one and feeds them to the first conveying unit 26a, then sequentially hands them over to the downstream second conveying unit 26b, conveys them along the second conveying unit 26b, and classifies them as they pass through the classification unit 28, before moving to step SP2.

[0048] In step SP2, the change control unit 21 determines whether or not a jam has occurred in the first transport unit 26a, that is, a banknote is being transported from the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 to the banknote storage vault 15. If a negative result is obtained here, this indicates that a jam has not occurred in the first transport unit 26a, and the change control unit 21 then proceeds to step SP3.

[0049] In step SP3, the change control unit 21 determines whether the banknote is a reusable banknote, or a non-reusable banknote, based on the validation result obtained from the validation unit 28, and determines whether a non-reusable banknote has been detected. If a negative result is obtained here, this indicates that the validated banknote is a reusable banknote, and in this case the change control unit 21 determines the transport destination of the reusable banknote to one of the banknote storage vaults 15 depending on the denomination, and proceeds to step SP4.

[0050] In step SP4, the change control unit 21 transports the banknotes to be reused along the second transport unit 26b to each banknote storage vault 15 and accumulates them, and then proceeds to step SP5. In step SP5, the change control unit 21 determines whether all of the banknotes inserted into the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 have been fed out, transported to each banknote storage vault 15, and accumulated. If a negative result is obtained here, this means that there are still banknotes to be fed out in the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, and the change control unit 21 returns to step SP1 and repeats the above-mentioned processing. On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP5, this means that all of the banknotes have been fed out from the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, and the change control unit 21 proceeds to step SP13 and ends the deposit processing procedure RT1.

[0051] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP2, this indicates that a jam has occurred in the first conveying section 26a, as shown in Figure 5, and in this case the change control section 21 stops the conveying of banknotes in the conveying section 26 and the dispensing from the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 24, and proceeds to step SP6.

[0052] 5, when the change control unit 21 detects that a banknote jam has occurred in the first transport unit 26a and stops transport of banknotes in the transport unit 26 and feeding of banknotes from the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24, at least a portion of the jammed banknote BLj, the banknote that caused the jam, remains in a state where it is ...

[0053] In step SP6, as shown in Figure 6, the change control unit 21 rotates the payout accumulation roller 42 and the accumulation roller 45 in the accumulation direction and rotates the conveying roller 62 in the reverse direction for a predetermined period of time, thereby conveying the jammed banknote BLj forward and returning it from the first conveying unit 26a to the banknote storage space 39, thereby making the jammed banknote BLj visible and accessible from outside the change machine 3, and then proceeds to step SP13, ending the deposit processing procedure RT1.

[0054] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP3, this indicates that the validated banknote is not eligible for reuse, and in this case, the change control unit 21 stops the transport of banknotes in the transport unit 26 and the feeding out of the banknotes from the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, and returns to step SP 7 Move to.

[0055] Here, when a non-reuseable banknote is detected as a result of validation when it passes through the validation unit 28 and the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 stops the transport of banknotes in the transport unit 26 and the feeding out of the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24, the non-reuseable banknote is transported to near the front of the banknote storage vault 15c and then stops. At this time, the subsequent banknote that is the banknote following the non-reuseable banknote is held by the feeding and accumulation roller 42 and at least a part of it remains in the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24. At this time, the reuseable banknote preceding the non-reuseable banknote has been transported to the banknote storage vault 15 according to its denomination.

[0056] In step SP7, the change control unit 21 returns the subsequent banknote to the deposit / withdrawal unit stage 38 of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, then switches the blade 35a to form a transport path connecting the classification unit 28 and the reject collection box 30, transports the banknotes not eligible for reuse from the second transport unit 26b to the reject box 31 of the reject collection box 30 and accumulates them, and then proceeds to step SP8.

[0057] In step SP8, the change control unit 21 determines whether a jam has occurred in the third transport unit 26c with a non-reusable banknote while it is being transported from the transport unit 26 to the reject vault 31. If a negative result is obtained here, this indicates that a jam has not occurred in the third transport unit 26c, and the change control unit 21 proceeds to step SP9. In step SP9, the change control unit 21 separates the subsequent banknote from the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, feeds it to the first transport unit 26a, transports it along the second transport unit 26b, and validates it as it passes through the validation unit 28, and then returns to step SP2 to repeat the above-mentioned process.

[0058] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP8, this indicates that a jam has occurred in the third conveying section 26c, as shown in Figure 7, and in this case the change control section 21 stops the conveying of banknotes in the conveying section 26 and the dispensing from the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 24, and proceeds to step SP10.

[0059] 7, when the change control unit 21 detects that a banknote jam has occurred in the third transport unit 26c and stops transport of banknotes in the transport unit 26, at least a portion of the jammed banknote BLj remains in the third transport unit 26c. At this time, the reusable banknote BLc preceding the jammed banknote BLj is not located on the transport unit 26, but has been transported to and stored in the banknote storage vault 15 corresponding to the denomination (for example, the banknote storage vault 15c). In this way, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 is designed so that, at the time when it detects that a jam has occurred in the third transport unit 26c and stops transport of banknotes in the transport unit 26, the reusable banknote BLc preceding the jammed banknote BLj is not located on the transport unit 26 but has already been stored in the banknote storage vault 15.

[0060] 8, in step SP10, the change control unit 21 rotates the accumulation roller 50 in the payout direction and reverses the conveyance roller 62 for a predetermined time period to move the jammed banknote BLj backward and convey it in a direction returning it from the third conveyance unit 26c to the second conveyance unit 26b, and then proceeds to step SP11. At this time, the change control unit 21 rotates the accumulation roller 50, the belt 74 and conveyance roller 62 of the conveyance unit 26, and the payout accumulation unit 60 of the banknote storage vault 15, in the direction to convey the banknote to each banknote storage vault 15.

[0061] In step SP11, the change control unit 21 determines whether or not the jammed banknote BLj has reached the validator 28 or the storage container travel sensor 80 while it is running the jammed banknote BLj in reverse for a predetermined time, based on the validation result obtained from the validator 28 and the detection result obtained from the storage container travel sensor 80. If a negative result is obtained here, the change control unit 21 proceeds to step SP12. In step SP12, the change control unit 21 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since it began running the jammed banknote BLj in reverse. If a negative result is obtained here, the change control unit 21 returns to step SP10 and runs the jammed banknote BLj in reverse only until the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0062] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP11, R This indicates that the jammed banknote BLj has reached the validator 28 or the storage container travel sensor 80 before the predetermined time has elapsed since the jammed banknote BLj began to travel backward, and the change control unit 21 then proceeds to step SP13 and ends the deposit processing procedure RT1. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, when the leading edge of the jammed banknote BLj reaches the optical element of the validator 28 and the validation result obtained from the validator 28 detects that the jammed banknote BLj has reached the validator 28, the change control unit 21 obtains a positive result in step SP11 and proceeds to step SP13. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 9, when the detection result obtained from the storage container travel sensor 80 detects that the banknote BL has reached, for example, the storage container travel sensor 80c, the change control unit 21 obtains a positive result in step SP11 and proceeds to step SP13.

[0063] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP12, this indicates that a predetermined time has passed since the jammed banknote BLj began to be reversed, and the change control unit 21 then proceeds to step SP13 and ends the deposit processing procedure RT1.

[0064] In this way, the change control unit 21 continues to rotate the accumulation roller 50, belt 74, transport roller 62, and feed-out accumulation unit 60, causing the jammed banknote BLj to travel in the reverse direction from the third transport unit 26c, until a predetermined time has elapsed or the banknote reaches the validation unit 28 or the storage container travel sensor 80. When the predetermined time has elapsed or the banknote reaches the validation unit 28 or the storage container travel sensor 80, the change control unit 21 stops the rotation of the accumulation roller 50, belt 74, transport roller 62, and feed-out accumulation unit 60, causing the jammed banknote BLj to stop traveling in the reverse direction. As a result, the change control unit 21 returns the jammed banknote BLj from the third transport unit 26c to the second transport unit 26b, making the jammed banknote BLj visible and accessible from outside the change dispenser 3 when the transport units are open (FIG. 3).

[0065] [5. Withdrawal Processing] Next, specific processing steps of the dispensing process when banknotes are handed over to the user by the change dispenser 3 will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 10. The change control unit 21, in cooperation with the register control unit 5 (Fig. 1) of the POS register 2, starts the dispensing process when it receives operation input from the user via the display operation unit 13 (Fig. 1) to start handing over banknotes to the user. The banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 also sets the position of the blade 35a (Fig. 2) to a state that forms a transport path connecting the discrimination unit 28 and the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24. The change control unit 21 starts the dispensing process procedure RT2 by reading and executing a dispensing process program from a memory unit (not shown), and proceeds to step SP21.

[0066] In step SP21, the change control unit 21 separates banknotes one by one from the banknote storage vault 15, feeds them to the second conveying unit 26b, conveys them along the second conveying unit 26b, and classifies them as they pass through the classification unit 28, and then proceeds to step SP22.

[0067] In step SP22, the change control unit 21 determines, based on the validation result obtained from the validation unit 28, whether the banknote is a normal banknote that has not experienced any abnormalities such as skew, in which the banknote is transported at a tilt compared to normal, or double feeding, in which multiple banknotes are transported overlapping each other. If a positive result is obtained here, this indicates that the validated banknote is a normal banknote that has not experienced any abnormalities such as skew or double feeding, and the change control unit 21 then determines the destination of the normal banknote to be the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 and proceeds to step SP23. In step SP23, the change control unit 21 transports the normal banknote along the first transport unit 26a to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 for stacking, and proceeds to step SP24.

[0068] In step SP24, the change control unit 21 determines whether or not a jam has occurred in the first transport unit 26a, that is, a banknote is being transported from the banknote storage vault 15 to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24. If a negative result is obtained here, this indicates that a jam has not occurred in the first transport unit 26a, and the change control unit 21 then proceeds to step SP25.

[0069] In step SP25, the change control unit 21 determines whether or not banknotes of the specified amount, which is the withdrawal amount specified by the user, have been fed from each banknote storage vault 15, transported to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, and accumulated. If a negative result is obtained here, this indicates that banknotes need to be further fed from each banknote storage vault 15 to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, and the change control unit 21 then returns to step SP21 and repeats the above-mentioned processing. On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP25, this indicates that banknotes of the specified amount have been transported to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, and the change control unit 21 then proceeds to step SP32 and ends the withdrawal processing procedure RT2.

[0070] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP24, this indicates that a jam has occurred in the first conveying section 26a, as shown in Figure 11, and in this case the change control section 21 stops the conveying of banknotes in the conveying section 26 and the dispensing of banknotes from the banknote storage vault 15, and proceeds to step SP26.

[0071] 11, when the change control unit 21 detects that a banknote jam has occurred in the first transport unit 26a and stops transport of banknotes in the transport unit 26 and the feeding of banknotes from the banknote storage vault 15, at least a portion of the jammed banknote BLj remains in the first transport unit 26a. At this time, the banknotes following the jammed banknote BLj are positioned on the transport unit 26.

[0072] 12, in step SP26, the change control unit 21 rotates the payout accumulation roller 42 and the accumulation roller 45 in the payout direction and reverses the conveyance roller 62 for a predetermined time period to convey the jammed banknote BLj backward, from the first conveyance unit 26a back to the second conveyance unit 26b, and then proceeds to step SP27. At this time, the change control unit 21 rotates the payout accumulation roller 42 and the accumulation roller 45, as well as the belt 74 and conveyance roller 62 of the conveyance unit 26 and the payout accumulation unit 60 of the banknote storage vault 15, in the direction to convey the banknotes to each banknote storage vault 15.

[0073] In step SP27, the change control unit 21 determines, based on the validation result obtained from the validation unit 28, whether or not a banknote has reached the validation unit 28 while the jammed banknote BLj is being reversed for the predetermined time. If a negative result is obtained here, the change control unit 21 proceeds to step SP28. In step SP28, the change control unit 21 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the jammed banknote BLj began to be reversed. If a negative result is obtained here, the change control unit 21 returns to step SP26 and reverses the jammed banknote BLj until the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0074] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP27, this means that the leading edge of the jammed banknote BLj has reached the optical element of the discrimination unit 28 before the predetermined time has elapsed since the jammed banknote BLj began to be reversed, and the jammed banknote BLj has reached the discrimination unit 28. At this time, the change control unit 21 proceeds to step SP32 and ends the withdrawal processing procedure RT2.

[0075] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP28, this indicates that a predetermined time has elapsed since the jammed banknote BLj began to be reversed, and the change control unit 21 then proceeds to step SP32 and ends the dispensing processing procedure RT2.

[0076] In this way, the change control unit 21 continues to rotate the feed-out accumulation roller 42, the accumulation roller 45, the belt 74, the transport roller 62, and the feed-out accumulation unit 60, causing the jammed banknote BLj to travel in the reverse direction from the first transport unit 26a, until a predetermined time has elapsed or the jammed banknote BLj reaches the discrimination unit 28. When the predetermined time has elapsed or the jammed banknote BLj reaches the discrimination unit 28, the change control unit 21 stops the rotation of the feed-out accumulation roller 42, the accumulation roller 45, the belt 74, the transport roller 62, and the feed-out accumulation unit 60, causing the jammed banknote BLj to stop traveling in the reverse direction. In this way, the change control unit 21 returns the jammed banknote BLj from the first transport unit 26a to the second transport unit 26b, making the jammed banknote BLj visible and accessible from outside the change dispenser 3 when the transport units are open (FIG. 3).

[0077] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP22, this indicates that the validated banknote is a banknote that has experienced an abnormality such as skew or double feeding, and in this case the change control unit 21 determines the destination of the banknote to be the rejected banknote storage 31 and proceeds to step SP29. In step SP29, the change control unit 21 transports the banknote along the third transport unit 26c to the rejected banknote storage 31 for stacking, and proceeds to step SP30.

[0078] In step SP30, the change control unit 21 determines whether or not a jam has occurred in the third transport unit 26c while the banknote is being transported from the banknote storage vault 15 to the reject vault 31. If a negative result is obtained here, this indicates that a jam has not occurred in the third transport unit 26c, and the change control unit 21 then proceeds to step SP25. In step SP25, the change control unit 21 performs the same process as described above.

[0079] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP30, this indicates that a jam has occurred in the third conveying section 26c, as shown in Figure 13, and in this case the change control section 21 stops the conveying of banknotes in the conveying section 26 and the dispensing from the banknote storage vault 15, and proceeds to step SP31.

[0080] 13, when the change control unit 21 detects that a banknote jam has occurred in the third transport unit 26c and stops transport of banknotes in the transport unit 26 and the feeding of banknotes from the banknote storage vault 15, at least a portion of the jammed banknote BLj remains on the second transport unit 26b. At this time, the banknotes following the jammed banknote BLj are positioned on the transport unit 26.

[0081] 14, in step SP31, the change control unit 21 rotates the accumulation roller 50 in the payout direction and reverses the conveyance roller 62 for a predetermined time period to convey the jammed banknote BLj backward, from the third conveyance unit 26c back to the second conveyance unit 26b, and then proceeds to step SP27. At this time, the change control unit 21 rotates the accumulation roller 50, as well as the belt 74 and conveyance roller 62 of the conveyance unit 26 and the payout accumulation unit 60 of the banknote storage vault 15, in the direction to convey the banknote to each banknote storage vault 15.

[0082] In step SP27, the change control unit 21 determines, based on the validation result obtained from the validation unit 28, whether or not a banknote has reached the validation unit 28 while the jammed banknote BLj is being reversed for the predetermined time. If a negative result is obtained here, the change control unit 21 proceeds to step SP28. In step SP28, the change control unit 21 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the jammed banknote BLj began to be reversed. If a negative result is obtained here, the change control unit 21 returns to step SP26 and reverses the jammed banknote BLj until the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0083] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP27, this means that the leading edge of the jammed banknote BLj has reached the optical element of the discrimination unit 28 before the predetermined time has elapsed since the jammed banknote BLj began to be reversed, and the jammed banknote BLj has reached the discrimination unit 28. At this time, the change control unit 21 proceeds to step SP32 and ends the withdrawal processing procedure RT2.

[0084] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP28, this indicates that a predetermined time has elapsed since the jammed banknote BLj began to be reversed, and the change control unit 21 then proceeds to step SP32 and ends the dispensing processing procedure RT2.

[0085] In this way, the change control unit 21 continues to rotate the accumulation roller 50, belt 74, conveyance roller 62, and feed-out accumulation unit 60, causing the jammed banknote BLj to travel in the reverse direction from the third conveyance unit 26c, until a predetermined time has elapsed or the jammed banknote BLj reaches the discrimination unit 28. When the predetermined time has elapsed or the jammed banknote BLj reaches the discrimination unit 28, the change control unit 21 stops the rotation of the accumulation roller 50, belt 74, conveyance roller 62, and feed-out accumulation unit 60, causing the jammed banknote BLj to stop traveling in the reverse direction. In this way, the change control unit 21 returns the jammed banknote BLj from the third conveyance unit 26c to the second conveyance unit 26b, making the jammed banknote BLj visible and accessible from outside the change dispenser 3 when the conveyance unit is in the open state (FIG. 3).

[0086] [6. Collection and Processing] Next, a specific procedure for the collection process will be described when the change dispenser 3 collects some or all of the banknotes stored in the banknote storage vault 15. In the collection process, the change control unit 21 differs from the dispensing process in that in steps SP23 and SP27 (FIG. 10), normal banknotes are transported to the collection vault 32 and abnormal banknotes are transported to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24, and in step SP25, it determines whether a specified number of banknotes have been fed from each banknote storage vault 15, transported to the collection vault 32, and stacked; however, in other respects, the same process is performed.

[0087] [7. Effects, etc.] In the above-described configuration, when a jam occurs in the first transport section 26a or the third transport section 26c, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 of the change machine 3 reverses the jammed banknote BLj toward the second transport section 26b to the discrimination section 28. Therefore, when the transport sections are open, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 transports the jammed banknote BLj to the second transport section 26b, which is a location that can be seen and accessed from outside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11, and exposes the jammed banknote BLj to the outside, allowing the jammed banknote BLj to be easily removed from outside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11.

[0088] Furthermore, when a jam occurs in the first transport unit 26a or the third transport unit 26c, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 runs the jammed banknote BLj backward to the validator 28 until it is detected by the validator 28, which is located forward of the banknote storage vault 15b and closer to the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24. This allows the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 to shorten the distance that the jammed banknote BLj runs backward, compared to when the jammed banknote BLj runs backward to the rear of the validator 28. This allows the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 to reduce the possibility of a secondary problem occurring, such as the jammed banknote BLj jamming again in the second transport unit 26b.

[0089] Furthermore, if a jam occurs between transport rollers that cannot be seen or accessed from outside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 while the transport section is open, it is possible to insert a jam removal sheet, which is a thin vinyl plate, between the transport rollers that can be accessed from outside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 and pull it outward, thereby causing the transport rollers that are linked to the transport rollers and cannot be seen or accessed from outside to rotate in reverse, thereby pulling the jammed banknote outward. However, in such a case, a maintenance person would be forced to perform the cumbersome task of using the jam removal sheet.

[0090] In response to this, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 is configured to move jammed banknotes BLj from the first transport unit 26a or the third transport unit 26c to the second transport unit 26b. This allows the maintenance personnel to easily remove jammed banknotes from outside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 when the transport unit is open, without having to use a jam removal sheet.

[0091] Furthermore, when the jammed banknote BLj is fed in the reverse direction for a predetermined time, even if the jammed banknote BLj cannot be fed in the reverse direction to a position that is sufficiently visible and accessible from outside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 can feed the jammed banknote BLj in the reverse direction a little further than the position where the jam occurred. This allows the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 to move the jammed banknote BLj as close as possible to a position that is visible and accessible from outside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11, rather than the position where the jam occurred. This allows the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 to easily remove the jammed banknote BLj from such a state, for example, by using a jam removal sheet.

[0092] Furthermore, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 is designed so that when it detects that a banknote jam has occurred in the third transport section 26c when transporting banknotes to the reject collection box 30 during a deposit process and stops transporting banknotes in the transport section 26, the banknote to be reused BLc is no longer located on the transport section 26, but is instead transported to and stored in the banknote storage box 15 corresponding to its denomination. For this reason, even if a banknote jam is detected in the third transport section 26c and the jammed banknote BLj is transported in the opposite direction toward the transport section 26 for a predetermined time, there should be no banknotes in the transport section 26, so the storage box travel sensor 80 is not supposed to detect the banknote.

[0093] In response to this, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 is configured to stop the reverse travel of the jammed banknote BLj if it detects that the banknote BL has reached the storage container travel sensor 80 before a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of reverse travel of the jammed banknote BLj, as shown in Figure 9. This makes it possible for the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 to prevent banknotes BL that would not normally be in the transport section 26 from being stored in the banknote storage container 15.

[0094] According to the above configuration, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 includes the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24 for transferring banknotes to and from an operator, a discrimination unit 28 connected to the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24 for discriminating banknotes, a transport unit 26 for transporting banknotes taken in from the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24 to the inside and transporting banknotes from the inside to the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24, a banknote storage vault 15a connected to the transport unit 26 and arranged behind the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24 for storing banknotes, a banknote storage vault 15b connected to the transport unit 26 and arranged behind the banknote storage vault 15a for storing banknotes, and a banknote storage vault 15b connected to the transport unit 26 and arranged behind the banknote storage vault 15a for storing banknotes. The system is provided with a reject collection box 30 that stores banknotes and is connected to the transport section 26 via a branch section provided between the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 24 and the discrimination section 28, an upper transport section 64 that is arranged above the transport section 26 and is movable between a transport section closed state in which the transport section 26 is closed to transport banknotes, and a transport section open state in which the transport section 26 is opened, and a change control section 21 that controls the banknote to run in the opposite direction toward the discrimination section 28 if a banknote becomes jammed while being transported from the transport section 26 toward the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 24 or the reject collection box 30.

[0095] This allows the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 to move banknotes jammed inside to a position that is easily accessible from the outside, making it easier to remove them from the outside.

[0096] 8. Other Embodiments In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which, if a jam occurs in the first transport unit 26a while the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 is transporting banknotes from the transport unit 26 to the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24, the jammed banknote BLj is caused to travel in the opposite direction from the first transport unit 26a to the second transport unit 26b. The present invention is not limited to this, and, if a jam occurs in the feed-out stacking unit 40 while the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 is transporting banknotes from the transport unit 26 to the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24, the jammed banknote BLj may be caused to travel in the opposite direction from the feed-out stacking unit 40 to the second transport unit 26b.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which, if a jam occurs at the third transport unit 26c while the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 is transporting banknotes from the transport unit 26 to the reject collection box 30, the jammed banknote BLj is caused to travel in the opposite direction from the third transport unit 26c to the second transport unit 26b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and, if a jam occurs at the accumulation roller 50 while banknotes are being transported from the transport unit 26 to the reject collection box 30, the jammed banknote BLj may be caused to travel in the opposite direction from the accumulation roller 50 to the second transport unit 26b.

[0098] Furthermore, during the deposit processing in the above-described embodiment, even if a banknote that has been determined to be returned to the user based on the validation result of the validation unit 28 and is being transported from the second transport unit 26b to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 24 becomes jammed in the first transport unit 26a, the banknote deposit / withdrawal device 11 simply reverses the flow of the banknote from the first transport unit 26a to the second transport unit 26b, as shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which, when a jam occurs in the first transport unit 26a or the third transport unit 26c, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 causes the jammed banknote to travel in the opposite direction toward the second transport unit 26b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and, when a jam occurs in the feed-out stacking unit 60 when transporting banknotes from the second transport unit 26b to the banknote storage vault 15, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 may cause the jammed banknote to travel in the opposite direction toward the second transport unit 26b.

[0100] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 having the transport unit 26 that transports banknotes in a substantially horizontal direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to a banknote deposit and withdrawal device having a transport unit that transports banknotes in a direction inclined relative to the horizontal direction.

[0101] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the change dispenser 3 is provided with three banknote storage vaults 15 (15a, 15b, and 15c). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any number of banknote storage vaults, such as two or less or four or more, may be provided.

[0102] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to the change dispenser 3, which is a settlement machine operated by a cashier. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to a self-service settlement machine or semi-self-service settlement machine operated by the customer themselves.

[0103] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to a change dispenser 3 connected to a POS register 2 used in checkout areas of supermarkets, convenience stores, etc., and performing deposit and withdrawal processes for banknotes and coins. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to various devices such as automated teller machines (counter terminals) used in banks, which are terminals used by bank staff.

[0104] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present invention also extends to embodiments in which the above-described embodiments are combined in part or in whole with any of the above-described other embodiments. Furthermore, the scope of application of the present invention also extends to cases in which part of the configuration described in any of the above-described embodiments and other embodiments is extracted and replaced or diverted with part of the configuration of any of the above-described embodiments and other embodiments, or where part of the extracted configuration is added to any of the above-described embodiments.

[0105] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 as a banknote processing device is configured by the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 24 as a deposit and withdrawal unit, the transport unit 26 as a transport unit, the banknote storage box 15a as the first storage box, the banknote storage box 15b as the second storage box, the reject recovery box 30 as the third storage box, the upper transport unit 64 as the upper transport unit, and the change control unit 21 as a control unit. The present invention is not limited to this, and the banknote processing device may be configured by a deposit and withdrawal unit, transport unit, first storage box, second storage box, third storage box, upper transport unit, and control unit having various other configurations. [Industrial Applicability]

[0106] The present invention can also be used in various conveying devices that convey and discriminate media such as banknotes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1...cash register change system, 2...POS register, 3...change machine, 5...cash register control unit, 6...display operation unit, 7...receipt processing unit, 7A...receipt discharge port, 11...banknote deposit / withdrawal device, 12...coin deposit / withdrawal device, 13...display operation unit, 14...banknote deposit / withdrawal port, 15...banknote storage vault, 16...coin deposit port, 17...reject port, 18...coin withdrawal port, 21...change control unit, 24...banknote deposit / withdrawal unit, 26...conveyance unit, 26a...first conveyance unit, 26b...second conveyance unit, 26c...third conveyance unit, 28...validation unit, 30...reject collection box, 31...reject box, 32...collection box, 33... ...reject stage, 34a...first switching unit, 34b...second switching unit, 34c...third switching unit, 35a, 35b, 35c...blade, 38...deposit / withdrawal unit stage, 39...banknote storage space, 40...feed-out accumulation unit, 41...pickup roller, 42...feed-out accumulation roller, 43...feed roller, 44...gate roller, 45...accumulation roller, 50...accumulation roller, 51...tension roller, 52...feed roller, 60...feed-out accumulation unit, 62...conveying roller, 64...upper conveying unit, 66...main body conveying unit, 72...shaft, 74...belt, 80...storage cabinet travel sensor.

Claims

1. a deposit / withdrawal unit for transferring banknotes to and from an operator; a transport unit connected to the depositing / withdrawing unit, including a discrimination unit that discriminates the banknotes, and that transports the banknotes taken in from the depositing / withdrawing unit to an interior thereof and transports the banknotes from the interior thereof to the depositing / withdrawing unit; a first storage container connected to the transport unit and disposed behind the depositing / withdrawing unit for storing the banknotes; a second storage unit connected to the transport unit, disposed behind the first storage unit, and configured to store banknotes; a third storage container connected to the transport unit via a branching unit provided between the deposit / withdrawal unit and the discrimination unit in the transport unit, and configured to store the banknotes; an upper transport unit disposed above the transport unit and movable between a closed state in which the transport unit is closed to transport the banknotes and an open state in which the transport unit is opened; a control unit that, when the banknote becomes jammed while being transported from the transport unit toward the deposit / withdrawal unit or the third storage, causes the banknote to run in the opposite direction toward the discrimination unit, and, when the discrimination unit detects the banknote while the banknote is running in the opposite direction, controls the banknote to stop running in the opposite direction; A banknote processing device having the above structure.

2. The discriminating unit is provided behind the depositing / withdrawing unit and closer to the depositing / withdrawing unit than the second storage unit. The banknote processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit If the banknote becomes jammed while being transported from the transport unit toward the deposit / withdrawal unit or the third storage, the banknote is controlled to run in the reverse direction for a predetermined time. The banknote processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A deposit / withdrawal unit for transferring banknotes to and from an operator; a transport unit connected to the depositing / withdrawing unit, including a discrimination unit that discriminates the banknotes, and that transports the banknotes taken in from the depositing / withdrawing unit to an interior thereof and transports the banknotes from the interior thereof to the depositing / withdrawing unit; a first storage container connected to the transport unit and disposed behind the depositing / withdrawing unit for storing the banknotes; a second storage unit connected to the transport unit, disposed behind the first storage unit, and configured to store banknotes; a third storage container connected to the transport unit via a branching unit provided between the deposit / withdrawal unit and the discrimination unit in the transport unit, and configured to store the banknotes; an upper transport unit disposed above the transport unit and movable between a closed state in which the transport unit is closed to transport the banknotes and an open state in which the transport unit is opened; a control unit that controls the banknotes to travel in the opposite direction toward the discrimination unit when the banknotes become jammed while being conveyed from the conveyance unit toward the deposit / withdrawal unit or the third storage vault; a first sensor that detects the transfer of the banknote between the transport unit and the first storage vault; a second sensor that detects the transfer of the banknote between the transport unit and the second storage; and The control unit When the first sensor or the second sensor detects a banknote while the banknote is being run in reverse, control is performed to stop the banknote from running in reverse. Banknote processing machine.

5. The control unit During a deposit process, when a jam of the banknote is detected while the banknote is being transported from the transport unit to the third storage unit and the transport of the banknote is stopped, the banknote that was fed from the deposit / withdrawal unit to the transport unit prior to the banknote is controlled to be transported to the first storage unit or the second storage unit. The banknote processing device according to claim 4.

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