Coin Processing Device

Abstract

To miniaturize a depth dimension.SOLUTION: A coin processing device 10 identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins deposited through a money deposit port 21 and stores the coins identified as genuine coins in a plurality of storage cabinets 28 for each denomination after dropping the coins downward and temporarily holding the coins in a temporary holding section 24, while causing a lift-up portion 32 to carry the coins upward and dispensing the coins through a dispensing port 33 after causing a dispensing and carrying section 30 to carry the coins delivered from any storage cabinet 28 by a payment command. The temporary holding section 24 includes: a first temporary holding cabinet 24a that is disposed on a lower side than the money deposit port 21 and the dispensing port 33 and on an upper side than the storage cabinet 28 and temporarily holds the coins identified as the genuine coins and dropped downward; and a second temporary holding cabinet 24b is provided in parallel with the storage cabinet 28 and temporarily holds the coins dropped downward from the first temporary holding cabinet 24a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin processing device, and more particularly to a coin processing device that is used as a change dispenser. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, coin processing devices used as change dispensers identify coins deposited into a deposit port, temporarily store coins identified as genuine in a temporary storage unit, then sort the coins by denomination in a sorting unit and store them in storage vaults provided for each denomination. When a dispensing command, which is a change dispensing request, is given from an external device or the like, this coin processing device feeds coins equivalent to the requested amount from the corresponding storage vault, transports them to the dispensing port by a dispensing transport unit, and dispenses them (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-71662 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the coin processing device described above, a storage cabinet is provided for each denomination. Therefore, if six denominations are handled, six storage cabinets are arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction. The temporary storage unit is disposed in front of the storage cabinet, and the deposit and withdrawal ports are provided in front of the temporary storage unit. This poses a problem in that the depth dimension of the coin processing device becomes large.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a coin processing device that can reduce the depth dimension. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the coin processing device of the present invention identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins deposited through a deposit port, drops coins identified as genuine coins downward and temporarily stores them in a temporary storage section, and then stores them in multiple storage boxes by denomination, while transporting coins dispensed from any storage box in response to a withdrawal command by a withdrawal transport section and then transporting them upward by a lift-up section and dispensing them through the withdrawal port.The temporary storage section is characterized by comprising: a first temporary storage box that is located below the deposit port and the withdrawal port and above the storage boxes, and temporarily stores coins that have been identified as genuine coins and dropped downward; and a second temporary storage box that is arranged alongside the storage box and temporarily stores coins that have been dropped downward from the first temporary storage box.

[0007] The present invention is also characterized in that the above-mentioned coin processing device is provided with a control unit that, when a deposit command is given, transports coins temporarily stored in the first temporary storage box to the second temporary storage box, and, when a refund command is given, transports coins temporarily stored in the first temporary storage box to the lift-up unit and refunds them through the withdrawal port.

[0008] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned coin processing device, when a reconciliation command is given to count the number of coins stored in each storage cabinet, the control unit temporarily stores the coins dispensed from the storage cabinet to be reconciled in the second temporary storage cabinet, and counts and stores the coins stored in the second temporary storage cabinet again in the storage cabinet.

[0009] Furthermore, in the coin processing device of the present invention, the height of the coin passage in the first temporary storage is smaller than the outer diameter of the coin with the smallest outer diameter.

[0010] The present invention also provides the above-mentioned coin processing device, wherein the first temporary storage unit comprises a transport mechanism that transports the temporarily stored coins toward the exit of the coin passage when driven in forward rotation, and transports the temporarily stored coins away from the exit when driven in reverse rotation, a first detection unit that is arranged at a location close to the exit of the coin passage and detects the presence or absence of coins at that location, and a second detection unit that is arranged at a location away from the exit of the coin passage and detects the presence or absence of coins at that location, and the control unit determines the presence or absence of remaining coins in the first temporary storage unit by driving the transport mechanism in forward and reverse rotation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the first temporary storage cabinet, which constitutes the temporary storage section and temporarily stores coins that have been identified as genuine and dropped downward, is positioned below the deposit and withdrawal ports and above the storage cabinet, and the second temporary storage cabinet, which constitutes the temporary storage section and temporarily stores coins that have been dropped downward from the first temporary storage cabinet, is arranged next to the storage cabinet.Therefore, although the second temporary storage cabinet is arranged next to the storage cabinet, the first temporary storage cabinet can be arranged above the storage cabinet and the withdrawal transport section, which has the effect of reducing the depth dimension of the entire device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a money handling machine to which a coin handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a money handling machine to which a coin handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a money handling machine to which a coin handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the coin processing device shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, that is, the coin processing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the coin processing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a characteristic control system of the coin processing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view showing the main parts of the coin processing device shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the main part of the coin processing device shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the first temporary storage shown in FIGS. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the first temporary storage box shown in FIGS. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the remaining coin detection process executed by the control unit shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a modification of the money handling machine shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. In FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a coin processing device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] 1 to 3 are perspective views showing a money handling machine to which a coin handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The money handling machine 1 shown here is connected to a host device 100 such as a POS (Point Of Sales) register in a store such as a supermarket or convenience store, and includes a device main body 2.

[0015] The device main body 2 is a rectangular housing having a front opening 2a at the front and a top opening 2b at the top, and is movable with multiple casters 2d (four in the illustrated example) provided on the bottom 2c.

[0016] The device body 2 has a front opening 2a that can be opened and closed by a door 3, and a top opening 2b that can be opened and closed by a top panel 4.

[0017] The door body 3 includes a front cover 3a and a front door 3b. The front cover 3a is pivotally supported forward of the top opening 2b. When the front cover 3a swings upward, it opens the upper part of the front opening 2a, and when it swings downward, it closes the upper part of the front opening 2a.

[0018] The front door 3b is pivotally supported at the front end portion of the left edge of the device main body 2. When the front door 3b swings forward, it opens the lower portion of the front opening 2a, i.e., the portion that cannot be closed by the front cover 3a, and when it swings backward, it closes the lower portion of the front opening 2a.

[0019] The front door 3b is provided with a locking mechanism 3c, and when this locking mechanism 3c is in a locked state, the front door 3b is kept in a state in which the lower part of the front opening 2a is blocked, while when the locking mechanism 3c is in an unlocked state, the front door 3b becomes able to swing forward.

[0020] Moreover, the front door 3b has a function of pressing a part of the front cover 3a in the closed state, and when the locking mechanism 3c is in the locked state, the front cover 3a is maintained in the closed state.

[0021] The top panel portion 4 is slidable in the front-rear direction, and opens the top opening 2b by sliding it rearward, and closes the top opening 2b by sliding it forward.

[0022] 2 and 3, a coin processing device 10 is housed inside the device main body 2 together with a banknote processing device 5. The banknote processing device 5 performs operations such as depositing and dispensing banknotes.

[0023] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the coin processing device 10 shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, i.e., the coin processing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the coin processing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a characteristic control system of the coin processing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The internal structure of the coin processing device 10 will be explained by function using Figs. 4 to 6.

[0024] The coin processing device 10 illustrated here can be withdrawn forward from the front opening 2a of the device main body 2 by a withdrawal mechanism (not shown), and is configured with a coin transport mechanism 20, a counting sensor 35, a first detection unit 36, a second detection unit 37, and a control unit 40. The coin transport mechanism 20 has a deposit transport unit 22, a temporary holding unit 24, a sorting unit 26, a storage cabinet 28, a withdrawal transport unit 30, a lift-up unit 32, and a group of switching gates 34.

[0025] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the deposit transport unit 22 transports coins that are inserted through the deposit slot 21 and detected by an insertion detection sensor (not shown). The deposit slot 21 is an opening for inserting coins, and is exposed to the outside through a coin deposit opening 3d formed in the front cover 3a. This deposit transport unit 22 is provided with a coin validation unit 22a. The coin validation unit 22a identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins.

[0026] The temporary storage unit 24 has a first temporary storage box 24a and a second temporary storage box 24b. The first temporary storage box 24a is disposed below the deposited money transport unit 22, and is connected to the deposited money transport unit 22 via a first deposit chute 23a. The first temporary storage box 24a is an elongated structure whose longitudinal direction is the front-to-rear direction, and a transport mechanism 242 is provided inside a storage box main body 241 which is a housing.

[0027] 9, the transport mechanism 242 is configured by a pair of front and rear transport pulleys 242a and an endless transport belt 242b stretched around them. The transport mechanism 242 places coins on the upper portion of the transport belt 242b between the transport pulleys 242a, and transports the coins by the rotation of the transport pulleys 242a.

[0028] A coin passage 243 is formed between an upper conveyor belt 242b between the conveyor pulleys 242a in the conveyor mechanism 242 and the upper surface 241a of the storage container main body 241. An outlet 244 is formed on the rear side of the coin passage 243. Note that reference numeral 245 in FIG. 9 denotes an introduction port communicating with the first deposit chute 23a, and reference numeral 246 denotes a guide port communicating with the lift-up section 32.

[0029] For example, the front conveying pulley 242a rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the left when driven in the forward direction by the conveying motor 242c, and rotates clockwise as viewed from the left when driven in the reverse direction by the conveying motor 242c. In other words, when driven in the forward direction, the conveying mechanism 242 conveys coins backward, and conveys coins toward the outlet 244 of the coin passage 243. On the other hand, when driven in the reverse direction, the conveying mechanism 242 conveys coins forward (in the direction away from the outlet 244 of the coin passage 243).

[0030] In such a first temporary storage facility 24a, the height dimension d of the coin passageway 243, i.e., the distance between the upper conveying belt 242b between the conveying pulleys 242a and the upper surface 241a of the storage facility main body 241, is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the coin with the smallest outer diameter (e.g., a 1 yen coin).

[0031] The second temporary storage 24b is disposed below the first temporary storage 24a, and is connected to the first temporary storage 24a through a connecting chute 25. An inlet (not shown) of the second temporary storage 24b communicates with an outlet 244 of the coin passage 243 through the connecting chute 25. The second temporary storage 24b temporarily stores coins that have fallen through the connecting chute 25.

[0032] The sorting unit 26 sorts, by denomination, the coins that are stored in the second temporary storage 24b and then transported. The storage 28 is provided for each denomination and stores the coins sorted by the sorting unit 26. More specifically, six storage 28 are provided, from the rear side: a 1 yen storage 28a, a 50 yen storage 28b, a 5 yen storage 28c, a 100 yen storage 28d, a 10 yen storage 28e, and a 500 yen storage 28f. Each storage 28 has a feeding unit 281 that feeds the stored coins to the dispensing transport unit 30, and the feeding unit 281 is provided with a discrimination unit 282 that discriminates predetermined discrimination elements, such as the denomination and number of the coins to be fed.

[0033] The dispensing transport unit 30 is disposed on the right side of the storage 28 and below the first temporary storage 24a. The dispensing transport unit 30 transports coins dispensed from the storage 28 rearward.

[0034] The lift-up section 32 is disposed to the right of the dispensing transport section 30. This lift-up section 32 extends in a manner that gradually slopes upward as it approaches the front, and transports coins from the rear to the front, that is, transports coins upward to be dispensed from the dispensing port 33.

[0035] The withdrawal port 33 is an opening provided above the first temporary storage 24a and below the deposit port 21, and is exposed to the outside through a coin withdrawal opening 3e formed in the front cover 3a. Coins withdrawn from this withdrawal port 33 are paid out to a withdrawal tray 3f provided in the front cover 3a.

[0036] The switching gate group 34 includes a first switching gate 34a, a second switching gate 34b, and a third switching gate 34c. The first switching gate 34a is provided on the rear side (downstream side in the conveying direction) of the deposit conveying unit 22. The first switching gate 34a is capable of selectively switching between a state in which coins conveyed by the deposit conveying unit 22 are conveyed to the first deposit chute 23a, and a state in which the coins are conveyed to the second deposit chute 23b. The second deposit chute 23b guides coins from the deposit conveying unit 22 to the lift-up unit 32.

[0037] The second switching gate 34b is provided on the rear side of the coin passage 243 of the first temporary storage 24a. As shown in Fig. 10, the second switching gate 34b can selectively switch between a state in which a coin transported rearward through the coin passage 243 is guided to an outlet 244 of the coin passage 243 and sent to the second temporary storage 24b via the connecting chute 25, and a state in which the coin is guided to an induction port 246 and sent to the lift-up section 32. The second switching gate 34b is normally in a state in which the coins stored in the first temporary storage 24a are sent to the second temporary storage 24b.

[0038] The third switching gate 34c is provided on the rear side (downstream side in the conveying direction) of the dispensing conveying unit 30. This third switching gate 34c is capable of selectively switching between a conveying state in which coins conveyed by the dispensing conveying unit 30 are conveyed to the lift-up unit 32, and a circulating state in which the coins are conveyed to the second temporary storage 24b. The third switching gate 34c is normally in the conveying state.

[0039] The counting sensor 35 is provided on the transport path from the sorting unit 26 to each storage unit 28. The counting sensor 35 detects the number of coins sorted from the sorting unit 26 to the corresponding storage unit 28, and sends the detection result to the control unit 40 as a counting signal.

[0040] 9, the first detection unit 36 ​​is disposed in a location close to the exit 244 of the coin passage 243 in the first temporary storage 24a. The first detection unit 36 ​​is configured by, for example, a magnetic sensor, and detects the presence or absence of coins at that location and provides the detection result to the control unit 40.

[0041] 9, the second detection unit 37 is disposed at a location away from the exit 244 of the coin passage 243 in the first temporary storage 24a. The second detection unit 37 is configured by, for example, a magnetic sensor, and detects the presence or absence of coins at that location and provides the detection result to the control unit 40.

[0042] The control unit 40 is connected to the coin transport mechanism 20, the discrimination unit 282, the counting sensor 35, the first detection unit 36, and the second detection unit 37, and is also connected to a higher-level device 100 such as a POS register device.

[0043] This control unit 40 controls the driving of the coin transport mechanism 20 based on the programs and data stored in the memory unit 41 when a detection signal is given from the coin validation unit 22a of the coin transport mechanism 20, or when various commands are given from the higher-level device 100.

[0044] The control unit 40 may be realized, for example, by having a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) execute a program, i.e., by software, or by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0045] The coin processing device 10 having the above-described configuration operates as follows: First, the deposit operation will be described.

[0046] When a deposit permission command is given from the higher-level device 100, coins inserted into the deposit slot 21 are detected by an insertion detection sensor, then transported by the deposit transport unit 22, and their authenticity and denomination are identified by the coin validation unit 22a. If the coin is genuine, it is stored in the first temporary storage 24a via the first deposit chute 23a.

[0047] Here, the height dimension d of the coin passage 243 of the first temporary storage 24a is set smaller than the outer diameter of the coin with the smallest outer diameter (for example, a 1 yen coin), so that coins can be prevented from being held in an upright position in the first temporary storage 24a.

[0048] On the other hand, if the coin is not genuine, it is transported to the lift-up section 32 via the first switching gate 34a and the second dispensing chute, and then transported by the lift-up section 32 to the dispensing port 33 and returned to the dispensing tray 3f.

[0049] By driving the transport mechanism 242 in the forward rotation, the coins stored in the first temporary storage 24a are stored in the second temporary storage 24b, and then the coins stored in the second temporary storage 24b are transported to the sorting unit 26, where they are sorted by denomination while being transported forward. The coins sorted by the sorting unit 26 are stored in the storage units 28 according to their denominations, and then the deposit operation is completed by notifying the upper device 100 that deposit has been completed.

[0050] Incidentally, when a return command is received from the upper device 100 while coins are stored in the first temporary storage 24a, the coin processing device 10 drives the conveying mechanism 242 in a forward rotation to convey the coins stored in the first temporary storage 24a backward, and then conveys them to the lift-up section 32 via the second switching gate 34b and the induction port 246, and then conveys them to the withdrawal port 33 via the lift-up section 32, where they are returned to the withdrawal tray 3f.

[0051] In this return operation, the number of coins transported from the lift-up unit 32 to the dispensing port 33 is not measured, so the control unit 40 performs the following remaining coin detection process when performing the return operation.

[0052] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the remaining coin detection process executed by the control unit 40 shown in FIG.

[0053] In this remaining coin detection process, the control unit 40 drives the transport mechanism 242 to rotate in the reverse direction (step S101). As a result, coins are transported forward in the first temporary storage 24a. After driving the transport mechanism 242 to rotate in the reverse direction in this manner, the control unit 40 determines whether the second detection unit 37 detects a coin before a predetermined time has elapsed (steps S102 and S103).

[0054] If the predetermined time has elapsed without the second detection unit 37 detecting any coins (step S102: No, step S103: Yes), the control unit 40 stops driving the transport mechanism 242 (step S104), returns the procedure without performing the processing described below, and ends this processing. This confirms that no coins remain in the first temporary storage 24a.

[0055] On the other hand, if the second detection unit 37 detects a coin before the predetermined time has elapsed (step S102: Yes, step S103: No), the control unit 40 drives the transport mechanism 242 to rotate forward (step S105), thereby transporting the coin backward in the first temporary storage 24a.

[0056] The control unit 40, which has driven the transport mechanism 242 to rotate in the forward direction in this manner, waits for the first detection unit 36 ​​to detect a coin, provided that a predetermined grace period has elapsed (steps S106 and S107).

[0057] Here, the grace period is determined by the coin transport speed by the coin mechanism and the separation distance between the first detection unit 36 ​​and the second detection unit 37, and is the time during which the coin detected by the second detection unit 37 can be detected by the first detection unit 36.

[0058] As described above, the coins detected by the first detection unit 36 ​​are transported to the lift-up unit 32 via the second switching gate 34b and the induction port 246, and then transported by the lift-up unit 32 to the withdrawal port 33 and returned from the withdrawal tray 3f.

[0059] Then, the control unit 40 stops driving the transport mechanism 242 (steps S108 and S109) on the condition that a predetermined induction time has elapsed, and then returns the procedure to end this processing.

[0060] This makes it possible to prevent coins from remaining in the first temporary storage 24a. The induction time is the time it takes for a coin detected by the first detection unit 36 ​​to be reliably transported to the lift-up unit 32.

[0061] Next, the dispensing operation will be described. When a dispensing command is given from the higher-level device 100, coins of the denomination corresponding to the dispensing command are fed from the corresponding storage 28 to the dispensing transport unit 30. The coins fed to the dispensing transport unit 30 are transported rearward and sent to the lift-up unit 32 via the third switching gate 34c, which is in a transport state, and then transported by the lift-up unit 32 to the dispensing port 33, from which they are dispensed to the outside. After the specified coins have been dispensed to the outside in this way, the dispensing operation is completed by notifying the higher-level device 100 of the completion of dispensing.

[0062] The reconciliation operation is an operation for counting the number of coins stored in each storage box 28.

[0063] When a reconciliation command is given from the higher-level device 100, the coin processing device 10 drives the feeding unit 281 in the corresponding storage 28 to feed the coin from the storage 28 to the dispensing transport unit 30, and causes the discriminator 282 to discriminate the predetermined discrimination element. The coin is then transported rearward by the dispensing transport unit 30, and temporarily stored in the second temporary storage 24b.

[0064] Then, the coin processing device 10 transports the coins stored in the second temporary storage 24b to the sorting section 26, where they are sorted by denomination, and stores them in a designated storage 28 while detecting the number of coins of each denomination using the counting sensor 35, thereby completing the inspection operation.

[0065] As described above, in the coin processing device 10 which is an embodiment of the present invention, the first temporary storage 24a constituting the temporary storage unit 24 is disposed below the deposit transport unit 22 and above the withdrawal transport unit 30, and is disposed below the deposit opening 21 and the withdrawal opening 33 and above the storage cabinet 28. According to this, the deposit transport unit 22 and the first temporary storage 24a are disposed above the storage cabinet 28 and the withdrawal transport unit 30, and although the second temporary storage 24b is disposed next to the storage cabinet 28, the depth dimension of the entire device can be reduced.

[0066] According to the coin processing device 10, when a deposit command is given, the control unit 40 transports the coins temporarily stored in the first temporary storage unit 24a to the second temporary storage unit 24b, while when a refund command is given, the control unit 40 transports the coins temporarily stored in the first temporary storage unit 24a to the lift-up unit 32 and refunds them through the withdrawal port 33, so that the coins actually inserted can be refunded.

[0067] Furthermore, according to the coin processing device 10, the height dimension d of the coin passage 243 of the first temporary storage 24a is set smaller than the outer diameter of the coin with the smallest outer diameter, so that coins can be prevented from being held in an upright position in the first temporary storage 24a, thereby enabling the coins to be temporarily stored to be transported smoothly.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the coin processing device 10, when the control unit 40 refunds coins stored in the first temporary storage 24a, it determines whether there are any remaining coins in the first temporary storage 24a by driving the conveying mechanism 242 in forward and reverse rotation, thereby preventing coins from remaining in the first temporary storage 24a and preventing users from suffering unexpected disadvantages.

[0069] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications can be made.

[0070] In the above-described embodiment, when a refund command is given, a remaining coin detection process is performed to determine whether or not there are any remaining coins in the first temporary storage unit. However, in the present invention, the presence or absence of remaining coins in the first temporary storage unit may be determined not only in response to a refund command, but also during normal deposit operations, etc.

[0071] Although not mentioned in the above embodiment, in the above-mentioned money handling machine 1, when the front cover 3a swings upward, a light source 3g installed in a location facing downward may be turned on, as shown in Figure 12. This light source 3g is formed of, for example, an LED, and when turned on, illuminates the area below.

[0072] With this configuration, if a coin jam occurs in the coin processing device 10, for example, the light source 3g can illuminate the coin processing device 10, ensuring visibility when clearing the coin jam, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1...money handling machine, 2...device main body, 3...door body, 5...banknote processing device, 10...coin processing device, coin transport mechanism, 21...deposit port, 22...deposit transport section, 22a...money validation section, 23a...first deposit chute, 23b...second deposit chute, 24...temporary storage section, 24a...first temporary storage, 24b...second temporary storage, 241...storage device main body, 242...transport mechanism, 242a...transport pulley, 242b...transport belt, 242c... Conveying motor, 243...coin passage, 244...exit, 245...inlet, 246...guiding port, 25...connecting chute, 26...sorting section, 28...storage cabinet, 30...payment conveying section, 32...lift-up section, 33...payment port, 34...switching gate group, 34a...first switching gate, 34b...second switching gate, 34c...third switching gate, 35...counting sensor, 36...first detection section, 37...second detection section, 40...control section, 100...host device.

Claims

1. A coin processing device that identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins deposited through a deposit port, drops coins that are identified as genuine coins downward and temporarily stores them in a temporary storage section, and then stores them in a plurality of storage boxes by denomination, while transporting coins that are dispensed from any storage box in response to a dispensing command by a dispensing transport section, and then transports them upward by a lift-up section, and dispenses them from the dispensing port, The temporary holding unit a first temporary storage unit that is disposed below the deposit port and the withdrawal port and above the storage unit, and that temporarily stores coins that have been identified as genuine and dropped below; a second temporary storage unit that is arranged next to the storage unit and temporarily stores coins dropped downward from the first temporary storage unit; A coin processing device comprising:

2. 2. The coin processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that, when a deposit command is given, causes the coins temporarily stored in the first temporary storage to be transported to the second temporary storage, and, when a refund command is given, causes the coins temporarily stored in the first temporary storage to be transported to the lift-up unit and refunded through the withdrawal port.

3. The coin processing device described in claim 2, characterized in that when a reconciliation command is given to count the number of coins stored in each storage cabinet, the control unit temporarily stores coins dispensed from the storage cabinet to be reconciled in the second temporary storage cabinet, and counts and stores the coins stored in the second temporary storage cabinet again in the storage cabinet.

4. 3. The coin processing device according to claim 2, wherein the height of the coin passage in the first temporary storage is smaller than the outer diameter of the coin with the smallest outer diameter.

5. The first temporary storage facility includes: a conveying mechanism that conveys coins to be temporarily stored toward an outlet of the coin passage when driven in a forward rotation, and conveys coins to be temporarily stored away from the outlet when driven in a reverse rotation; a first detection unit disposed in a location close to the exit of the coin passage and detecting the presence or absence of a coin at the location; a second detection unit disposed at a location spaced apart from the exit of the coin passage and detecting the presence or absence of a coin at the location; Equipped with The coin processing device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines whether or not there are any remaining coins in the first temporary storage by driving the transport mechanism in forward and reverse rotation.

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