Coin processing device and currency handling device

Abstract

To reduce the size of a device.SOLUTION: A coin processor includes: a coin storage unit 30 for storing a coin CN; a storage unit conveyor belt 40 for conveying the coin CN ejected from the coin storage unit 30 in a horizontal withdrawal conveyor direction Dt; a direction-switching unit 54 for guiding the coin CN on the storage unit conveyor belt 40 in an up-top withdrawal conveyor direction Dl intersecting the horizontal withdrawal conveyor direction Dt; a first conveyor belt 66 arranged on an upper side of the coin CN guided in the up-top withdrawal conveyer direction Dl by the direction-switching unit 54; and a lift conveying unit 26 for forming an upward conveying path W that conveys the coin CN upwardly while holding the coin between a second conveying belt 70 arranged on a lower side of the coin CN.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin processing device and a currency handling device, and is suitable for application to a currency handling device that handles currency (that is, coins and banknotes), for example.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in relatively large-scale retail stores (such as supermarkets, etc.), there are cases where registers as currency handling devices that handle banknotes and coins respectively are installed at a plurality of cash desks where customers perform settlement processing. As such a currency handling device, there is, for example, one having a banknote processing device that processes banknotes and a coin processing device that processes coins.

[0003] Among these, the coin processing device includes a coin insertion unit that feeds the inserted coins one by one into the coin processing device, a conveyance unit that conveys the coins, a recognition unit that identifies the denomination and authenticity of the coins, a coin storage for storing coins for each denomination, a coin payout unit that pays out change to the user, and a return unit that returns coins to the user, etc. When the coin processing device stores the coins sorted for each denomination in the coin processing device in the coin storage, it stores them in the coin storage, while when returning them to the user, it stores them in the return unit. Also, this coin processing device feeds out the coins to be paid out as change from the storage and conveys them to the coin payout unit.

[0004] When such a coin processing device pays out coins, there is one that conveys the coins fed out from the coin storage almost horizontally in one direction by a belt and delivers them to the lift-up conveyance unit, and conveys them to the coin payout unit so as to lift up the coins by the lift-up conveyance unit (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] In such coin processing devices, miniaturization of the device size is desirable.

[0007] This invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a coin processing device and currency handling device that can be miniaturized. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the coin processing apparatus of the present invention includes a coin storage unit for storing coins, a coin dispensing conveyor belt for transporting coins dispensed from the coin storage unit in a first direction, and a coin dispensing conveyor belt for transporting coins on the dispensing conveyor belt. 、 First direction And intersects with Up and down and Crossing do Direction In the second direction Towards The system includes a guide section, a first belt positioned on one side of the coin guided in a second direction by the guide section, and a second belt positioned on the other side of the coin, which forms an upward transport path that grips the coin and transports it upward.

[0009] Furthermore, the currency handling device of the present invention includes an operating unit for receiving operations related to the processing of coins, a coin slot into which coins are inserted, a coin storage unit for storing coins, a coin dispensing conveyor belt for transporting coins dispensed from the coin storage unit in a first direction, and a coin dispensing conveyor belt for handling coins on the dispensing conveyor belt. 、 First direction And intersects with Up and down and Crossing do Direction In the second direction Towards The system includes a guide section, a first belt positioned on one side of the coin guided in a second direction by the guide section, and a second belt positioned on the other side of the coin, which forms an upward transport path that grips the coin and transports it upward.

[0010] This makes it possible to reduce the area occupied by the coin transport path in the first direction of the device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a coin processing device and a currency handling device that can be miniaturized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the currency handling device. [Figure 2] The configuration of the coin processing device (1) is shown, with (A) being a front view and (B) being a right side view. [Figure 3] The configuration of the coin processing device (2) is shown, and is a plan view taken along the line AA in Figure 2(B). [Figure 4] The configuration of the coin processing device (3) is shown, and is a plan view taken along the BB arrow in Figure 2(B). [Figure 5] The diagram shows the configuration of the horizontal cash dispensing and conveying section and the direction switching section. (A) is a plan view, (B) is a right side view of the cash dispensing scrutiny switching state, and (C) is a right side view of the collection switching state. [Figure 6] This is a front view showing the configuration of the lift transfer section. [Figure 7] This is a front view showing the configuration of the storage compartment and the cash tray / transfer section. [Figure 8] This is a front view showing how coins are transported in the coin storage tray transfer section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The embodiments for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings. [1. Overall configuration of the currency handling device] As shown in FIG. 1, the currency handling device 1 is generally formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and is roughly divided into a banknote handling device 2 that handles banknotes, a coin handling device 4 that handles coins, a display operation unit 11, and a receipt printer 12. The banknote handling device 2 and the coin handling device 4 are housed in a housing 6 configured in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape. This currency handling device 1 is operated by a cashier when a customer settles the goods they want to purchase at a checkout (so-called cash register) in a retail store such as a supermarket or a convenience store. Hereinafter, the side of the currency handling device 1 facing the user is defined as the front side, the opposite side as the rear side, the left and right as seen from the user facing the front side are defined as the left side and the right side respectively, and the upper side and the lower side are further defined for explanation.

[0014] The control unit 8 is provided inside the housing 6 and has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. not shown. By executing a predetermined program read from the ROM etc. by the CPU, various processes are performed to comprehensively control the entire currency handling device 1.

[0015] The banknote handling device 2 takes in the banknotes inserted by the user through the banknote deposit slot 9 and stores them in an internal banknote storage (not shown), and also feeds out the banknotes instructed by the control unit 8 from the banknote storage and discharges them as change through the banknote discharge slot 10.

[0016] The coin processing device 4 takes in coins inserted by the user through the coin slot 14A and stores them in the internal coin storage section 30 (coin storage sections 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F) (Figure 3). It also dispenses coins instructed by the control unit 8 from the coin storage section 30 and dispenses them as change from the coin dispensing tray 28. Incidentally, like ordinary coins, coins are made of metals such as nickel, copper, and aluminum, or alloys thereof, or combinations thereof, and are formed in the shape of thin plates. Furthermore, among the coins handled by the coin processing device 4, the thickest coin will be called the thickest coin, the thinnest coin will be called the thinnest coin, and the coin with the largest diameter will be called the largest diameter coin.

[0017] The display operation unit 11 is configured as a so-called touch panel, in which a touch sensor is combined with the surface of a display panel having a display function, such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel. Based on the control of the control unit 8, the display operation unit 11 displays various screens, such as the name and price of the recognized product, and also receives touch operations from the user and notifies the control unit 8. In response, the control unit 8 makes adjustments such as increasing or decreasing the quantity of the product or correcting the price.

[0018] The receipt printer 12 has a configuration similar to that of a typical thermal printer, and includes a holder for holding a roll of thermal paper wound in a roll shape, a transport mechanism for transporting the thermal paper pulled from the roll, and a thermal head for printing characters, figures, etc., onto the thermal paper using heat. The receipt printer 12 prints the names and amounts of recognized products on a receipt and then ejects it.

[0019] [2. Configuration of the coin processing device] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the coin processing device 4 is centered around a box-shaped casing 6 and performs cash-related transactions such as deposit and withdrawal processing with the user. In Figure 2, for the sake of drawing convenience, the internal structure of the casing 6, such as transport guides that restrict and guide the movement range of coins, is appropriately omitted and the transport path of coins is schematically shown.

[0020] The coin deposit section 14 is located near the front end of the upper surface of the housing 6 and is the part that receives coins inserted by the user. This coin deposit section 14 has a coin slot 14A located on the upper side into which coins are inserted, and a coin dispensing section 14B located below it that dispenses the coins. The coin slot 14A is configured in a mortar shape, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, and is wide open to make it easy to insert coins all at once. Coins inserted into the coin slot 14A fall into the coin dispensing section 14B.

[0021] The coin dispensing unit 14B is located below the coin deposit unit 14 and has a rotating disc inside. The coin dispensing unit 14B uses the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating disc to move the coins toward the outer edge, separating them one by one and dispensing them, then handing the coins over to the coin delivery unit 15. The coin delivery unit 15 has rollers that face each other vertically, and upon receiving coins from the coin dispensing unit 14B, it rotates the rollers at a predetermined timing to sequentially hand over the coins to the pin belt 38 of the deposit and transport unit 17. The pin belt 38 transports the coins to the coin identification unit 16.

[0022] Behind the coin dispensing section 15, above the coin storage section 30, is the deposit and transport section 17. The deposit and transport section 17 consists of a transport guide 36 with a flat upper surface above the coin storage section 30, a plurality of pulleys (not shown) positioned above the transport guide 36, and a pin belt 38 stretched around the pulleys. The pin belt 38 is made of a flexible material and has an endless belt 38B with a predetermined length (i.e. width) in the vertical direction, and pins 38P are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the endless belt 38B, perpendicular to the upper surface of the transport guide 36 and aligned vertically. As the pulleys rotate, the pin belt 38 moves clockwise in Figure 3 at a predetermined speed, causing the pins 38P to come into contact with the coins, and the coins are transported along the transport guide 36 as the pin belt 38 moves.

[0023] The coin identification unit 16 has various sensors (not shown) that recognize the characteristics of coins, such as image sensors and magnetic sensors. The coin identification unit 16 recognizes the characteristics of coins dispensed from the coin feeding unit 15, and based on these characteristics, it identifies the authenticity, denomination, and condition of the coins, and notifies the control unit 8 (Figure 1) of the identification results. At this time, the control unit 8 determines the destination for transporting the coins.

[0024] The deposit transport section 17 has a transport path formed generally horizontally in the transport guide 36 through which coins are transported, and reject holes 18 and six receiving holes 19 (receiving holes 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E, and 19F) are provided along this transport path. In Figure 2, only three of the six receiving holes 19, namely 19B, 19D, and 19F, which are located on the right side, are shown. The reject holes 18 are used, for example, in deposit transactions to sort out coins that have been identified as not genuine based on the coin identification results by the coin identification section 16, or foreign objects such as coins from other countries that are not handled or tokens from amusement facilities (hereinafter referred to as rejected coins). Each receiving slot 19 is a section for sorting coins that have been identified as genuine (hereinafter also referred to as genuine coins) by denomination, and each slot is assigned to one of six denominations: 500 yen, 100 yen, 50 yen, 10 yen, 5 yen, and 1 yen.

[0025] The reject hole 18 is provided with a reject gate 32 that opens and closes based on the control of the control unit 8. When the reject hole 18 is closed, the reject gate 32 allows the coin to move along the deposit transport unit 17, while when the reject hole 18 is open, it drops the coin and discharges it. Each receiving hole 19 (receiving holes 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E, and 19F) is provided with a coin denomination gate 34 (coin denomination gates 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D, 34E, and 34F) similar to that of the reject hole 18.

[0026] With this configuration, the deposit and transport unit 17 transports the coins received from the coin identification unit 16 along the transport path and sorts the coins based on the control of the control unit 8. Specifically, the deposit and transport unit 17 ejects rejected coins that have been identified as not genuine from the reject hole 18, while ejecting genuine coins that have been identified as genuine from the receiving hole 19 corresponding to their denomination.

[0027] Below the reject hole 18, a reject chute 20 is provided to guide the ejected coins downward. On the other hand, below each receiving hole 19 (receiving holes 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D, 19E, and 19F), there are denomination-specific chutes 21 (denomination-specific chutes 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E, and 21F) to guide the ejected coins downward. Below each denomination-specific chute 21 (denomination-specific chutes 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E, and 21F), there are six coin storage sections 30 (coin storage sections 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F) as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Each coin storage section 30 is assigned a different denomination, similar to each receiving hole 19. Hereafter, coin storage sections 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, and 30F will be collectively referred to as coin storage section 30.

[0028] The coin storage section 30 has a hollow, three-dimensional shape such that when viewed from the front it forms a predetermined polygon, and when viewed from the right it forms a rectangle, and has an open top. Therefore, each coin storage section 30 stores coins of each denomination that fall from the denomination sorting chute 21 (Figure 2) into its internal storage space through its opening, while maintaining their sorted state by denomination. The coin storage section 30 is also equipped with a discharge mechanism that releases coins one by one from the storage space to the horizontal coin dispensing and transport section 22 (described later).

[0029] Below the reject chute 20, between the coin storage sections 30A, 30C, and 30E and the coin storage sections 30B, 30D, and 30F (Figure 4), a horizontal coin dispensing and conveying section 22 is provided. The horizontal coin dispensing and conveying section 22 is positioned in the front-rear direction, extending from the rear ends of the coin storage sections 30A and 30B to the lift conveying section 26. The horizontal coin dispensing and conveying section 22 consists of pulleys 42 located at the front and rear ends, each having a rotation axis along the left-right direction, and a storage section conveying belt 40, which is an endless belt stretched around the pulleys 42 so as to extend in the front-rear direction along a substantially horizontal direction. Based on the control of the control unit 8, the horizontal coin dispensing and conveying section 22 rotates the pulleys 42 counterclockwise in Figure 2(B). As a result, the horizontal coin dispensing and conveying section 22 moves the surface of the outer circumferential surface of the storage section conveying belt 40 that is in contact with the coins CN in the forward direction, the horizontal coin dispensing and conveying direction Dt, toward the lift conveying section 26. This horizontal coin dispensing and transport direction Dt is the direction along the front-to-back direction (depth direction) of the coin processing device 4.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, a reverse roller 44 is positioned on the side of the horizontal coin dispensing direction Dt that is closer to the coin storage section 30 in the horizontal coin dispensing and conveying section 22. The reverse roller 44 is positioned above the storage section conveying belt 40, with its lower end leaving a gap between the surface of the storage section conveying belt 40 and the surface of the storage section conveying belt 40 that is slightly wider than the thickness of one of the thickest coins. In Figure 5(B), the reverse roller 44 rotates counterclockwise such that the rotation direction of the lower portion of the reverse roller 44, which is vertically opposite to the direction of travel of the surface of the storage section conveying belt 40 (i.e., the horizontal coin dispensing and conveying direction Dt).

[0031] A reverse roller guide 46 is provided behind the reverse roller 44. The reverse roller guide 46 is a thin plate-shaped member positioned upwards at the rear, with its front tip fitting into a groove formed on the outer circumferential surface of the reverse roller 44. This reverse roller guide 46 prevents the coin CN from flying out of the storage unit conveyor belt 40 by contacting the coin CN and restricting its upward movement when the coin CN bounces upward after being flicked by the reverse roller 44.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, a collection compartment 24 is provided on the lower side near the front end of the horizontal coin dispensing and transporting section 22. The collection compartment 24 is a rectangular parallelepiped with an open top and stores rejected coins and coins CN dispensed from the coin storage section 30 during the collection process.

[0033] Furthermore, a lift conveying section 26 is provided above the front end of the horizontal coin dispensing and conveying section 22. The lift conveying section 26 mainly consists of a lift conveying section 26R provided on the right side and a lift conveying section 26L provided on the left side. Each of the lift conveying sections 26R and 26L consists of a belt and pulleys, respectively, which are positioned at the points where the belt bends in its direction of movement and stretch the belt around them. The pulleys are formed in a cylindrical shape with their central axis aligned along the front-rear direction and can rotate about this central axis. The belt is an endless belt having a predetermined length (i.e., width) in the front-rear direction and is stretched over the pulleys so as a whole it extends in the vertical direction. In this configuration, the lift conveying section 26 holds coins between the belt of the lift conveying section 26R and the belt of the lift conveying section 26L and conveys them upward to the coin dispensing tray 28 or storage section 90 (described later) (details will be described later).

[0034] The coin dispensing tray 28, which serves as the coin dispensing section, is located on the front of the housing 6, above the storage section transport belt 40, and has an open top surface, allowing the user to access it from the front. The coin dispensing tray 28 stores coins of the appropriate denomination and number corresponding to the amount of change, which are transported from the lift transport section 26.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, a movable direction switching unit 50 is provided on the side of the horizontal dispensing direction Dt from the reverse roller 44 in the horizontal dispensing conveying unit 22. The movable direction switching unit 50, which serves as a recovery switching unit, is composed of a movable corner guide 51 and a movable corner guide drive unit (not shown).

[0036] The movable corner guide 51 has a switching guide surface 51S1, an upper guide surface 51S2, and a lateral guide surface 51S3. The switching guide surface 51S1 has a predetermined height in the vertical direction and faces the coin CN being transported in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt. It has a concave curved shape that curves to the left towards the lifting dispensing transport direction Dl as it moves toward the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt.

[0037] The upper guide surface 51S2 is provided to cover the upper side of the switching guide surface 51S1 in a predetermined range behind the switching guide surface 51S1, within a range of approximately the right half of the switching guide surface 51S1. This upper guide surface 51S2 has a planar shape that is aligned horizontally and faces the surface of the storage unit conveyor belt 40, and is positioned to leave a small gap between it and the thickest coin placed on the storage unit conveyor belt 40 in the retrieval switching state (described later). The upper guide surface 51S2 restricts the upward movement of the coin CN.

[0038] The lateral guide surface 51S3 extends downward vertically from the left end of the switching guide surface 51S1 and has a length in the front-to-back direction that is approximately the same as that of the upper guide surface 51S2. This lateral guide surface 51S3 has a planar shape that faces the left side of the storage unit conveyor belt 40. In the recovery switching state (described later), the upper end of the lateral guide surface 51S3 is positioned below the surface of the storage unit conveyor belt 40, thereby retracting it from the transport path of coins CN being transported from the storage unit conveyor belt 40 to the recovery unit 24. On the other hand, in the dispensing verification switching state (described later), the upper end of the lateral guide surface 51S3 is positioned above the surface of the storage unit conveyor belt 40 and the lower end is positioned below the surface of the storage unit conveyor belt 40, so that it faces the coins CN being transported horizontally on the storage unit conveyor belt 40 in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt, and guides the left side of the coins CN.

[0039] The movable corner guide drive unit is composed of an actuator such as a solenoid and a link mechanism that connects the actuator and the movable corner guide 51. By moving based on the control of the control unit 8, the movable corner guide 51 is raised or lowered, and the system transitions between the withdrawal scrutiny switching state shown in Figure 5(B) and the collection switching state shown in Figure 5(C).

[0040] In the withdrawal scrutiny switching state, the movable corner guide 51 is retracted from the storage unit transport belt 40 such that the lower end of the switching guide surface 51S1 is spaced wider than the thickness of the thickest coin between it and the surface of the storage unit transport belt 40. Therefore, in the withdrawal scrutiny switching state, coins CN being transported on the storage unit transport belt 40 in the horizontal withdrawal transport direction Dt pass under the switching guide surface 51S1 of the movable corner guide 51 and continue to be transported in the horizontal withdrawal transport direction Dt.

[0041] On the other hand, in the recovery switching state, the movable corner guide 51 is positioned close to the storage unit conveyor belt 40 such that the lower end of the switching guide surface 51S1 is in close proximity to the surface of the storage unit conveyor belt 40, with a gap narrower than the thickness of the thinnest coin between them. Therefore, in the recovery switching state, coins CN being transported on the storage unit conveyor belt 40 in the horizontal dispensing direction Dt come into contact with the switching guide surface 51S1 of the movable corner guide 51, and their direction of travel is switched 90° to the left.

[0042] The movable direction switching unit 50 enters a withdrawal / verification switching state when performing withdrawal or verification processing, and transports the coins CN in the horizontal withdrawal / transport direction Dt without changing their direction of travel, switching the destination of the coins CN to the direction switching unit 54. On the other hand, when performing collection processing, it enters a collection switching state, and changes the direction of travel of the coins CN that have been transported in the horizontal withdrawal / transport direction Dt by the storage unit transport belt 40 by 90° to the left, switching the destination to the collection storage unit 24.

[0043] [3. Configuration of the direction switching section] As shown in Figure 5, the direction switching section 54 is fixed in place so as not to move on the horizontal cash dispensing direction Dt side of the movable direction switching section 50 in the horizontal cash dispensing transport section 22.

[0044] The direction switching section 54 has a switching guide surface 54S1 and an upper guide surface 54S2. The switching guide surface 54S1 has a predetermined height in the vertical direction and faces the coin CN being transported in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt. It has a concave curved shape that curves towards the lifting dispensing transport direction Dl as it moves towards the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt.

[0045] The upper guide surface 54S2 is provided to cover the upper side of the switching guide surface 54S1 in a predetermined range behind the switching guide surface 54S1, within a range of approximately the right half of the switching guide surface 54S1. This upper guide surface 54S2 has a planar shape that is aligned horizontally and faces the surface of the storage unit conveyor belt 40, and is positioned to leave a small gap between itself and the thickest coin placed on the storage unit conveyor belt 40. The upper guide surface 54S2 restricts the upward movement of the coin CN.

[0046] The direction switching unit 54 is positioned close to the storage unit conveyor belt 40 such that the lower end of the switching guide surface 54S1 is less than the thickness of the thinnest coin between it and the surface of the storage unit conveyor belt 40. As a result, coins CN being conveyed on the storage unit conveyor belt 40 in the horizontal dispensing direction Dt come into contact with the switching guide surface 54S1 of the direction switching unit 54, and their direction of travel is switched to the lifting dispensing direction Dl by a direction switching angle (details will be described later). In this embodiment, the direction switching angle is set to, for example, 90°. As a result, the direction switching unit 54 switches the direction of travel of coins CN from the horizontal dispensing direction Dt to the lifting dispensing direction Dl, which is perpendicular to the horizontal dispensing direction Dt.

[0047] [4. Lift Transfer Section Configuration] Figure 6 shows the lift transport transfer section 60, which is the point where coins CN are transferred from the horizontal dispensing transport section 22 to the lower part of the lift transport section 26. Note that in Figure 6, only the storage section transport belt 40, pulley 42, and direction switching section 54 of the horizontal dispensing transport section 22 are shown and omitted.

[0048] The first pulley 62 is part of the lift conveying section 26R and is positioned above the left end of the storage section conveying belt 40, with its lower end leaving a gap between the surface of the storage section conveying belt 40 and the surface of the storage section conveying belt 40 that is slightly wider than the thickness of one thickest coin. Furthermore, the lower end of the first pulley 62 is located to the right of the left end of the storage section conveying belt 40, and in the left-right direction, it is closer to the left-right center of the storage section conveying belt 40 than the receiving pulley 68 (described later).

[0049] The third pulley, the drive pulley 64, is part of the lift conveying section 26R, has a diameter approximately twice that of the first pulley 62, and is positioned to the left of the first pulley 62, with a gap wider than the gap between the storage section conveying belt 40 and the receiving pulley 68 (described later) in the left-right direction relative to the first pulley 62. The drive pulley 64 is also positioned such that its lower end is at approximately the same vertical position as the lower end of the first pulley 62.

[0050] Each pulley in the lift conveying section 26R, including the first pulley 62 and the drive pulley 64, is stretched with a first conveyor belt 66, which is a drive belt. The drive pulley 64 receives driving force from a drive source (not shown) and rotates, causing the large driven pulley 76 and the lower final pulley 74 (Figure 7), etc., to move the first conveyor belt 66 clockwise in the direction of the arrows shown in Figures 6 and 7. Between the first pulley 62 and the drive pulley 64, the outer surface of the first conveyor belt 66 that contacts the coins CN extends from above the surface of the storage section conveyor belt 40 to the drive pulley 64, almost horizontally to the left.

[0051] Here, the greater the angle Θ1 of the first conveyor belt, which is the angle of the first conveyor belt 66 between the first pulley 62 and the drive pulley 64 with respect to the surface (horizontal direction) of the storage unit conveyor belt 40, is greater than 3°, the further the first conveyor belt 66 moves above the coin CN on the storage unit conveyor belt 40. As a result, when the coin CN is transferred from the storage unit conveyor belt 40 to the lift conveyor unit 26, the upward movement of the coin CN is no longer restricted, and the behavior of the coin CN becomes unstable.

[0052] In contrast, the positional relationship between the first pulley 62 and the drive pulley 64 is set such that the angle of attack Θ1 of the first conveyor belt is, for example, 0° to 3°. Therefore, the coin processing device 4 can bring the first conveyor belt 66 close to the upper surface of the coins CN on the storage conveyor belt 40, and when transferring the coins CN from the storage conveyor belt 40 to the lift conveyor unit 26, it can restrict the upward movement of the coins CN and stabilize the behavior of the coins CN.

[0053] The receiving pulley 68 is part of the lift conveying section 26L, has a diameter approximately the same as the first pulley 62, and is positioned to the left of the left end of the storage section conveying belt 40, with its right end leaving a small gap between it and the left end of the storage section conveying belt 40. Furthermore, the receiving pulley 68 is positioned so that its upper end is below the lower end of the drive pulley 64 and the surface of the storage section conveying belt 40.

[0054] Each pulley in the lift conveying section 26L, including the receiving pulley 68, is stretched with a driven belt, the second conveyor belt 70. The second conveyor belt 70 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the drive pulley 64, causing the upper final pulley 78 (Figure 7), etc., to rotate, and travels counterclockwise in the direction of the arrows shown in Figures 6 and 7. Between the receiving pulley 68 and the drive pulley 64, the outer surface of the second conveyor belt 70 that contacts the coins CN extends upward to the left from below the surface of the storage section conveyor belt 40 towards the drive pulley 64. The gap between the left end of the storage section conveyor belt 40 and the second conveyor belt 70 (i.e., the right end of the receiving pulley 68) is set to 1 mm. This prevents the coin processing device 4 from getting stuck in the gap between the storage section conveyor belt 40 and the second conveyor belt 70 and falling out.

[0055] Here, the greater the angle Θ2 of the second conveyor belt 70 between the receiving pulley 68 and the driving pulley 64 with respect to the surface (horizontal direction) of the storage unit conveyor belt 40, is greater than 10°, the further the second conveyor belt 70 moves below the coins CN on the storage unit conveyor belt 40. As a result, when the coins CN are transferred from the storage unit conveyor belt 40 to the lift conveyor unit 26, the more likely the coins CN are to slip off the second conveyor belt 70.

[0056] On the other hand, if the angle of attack Θ2 of the second conveyor belt is too small, a step will be created between the surface of the storage unit conveyor belt 40 and the surface of the second conveyor belt 70, making it easier for the coins CN to get caught on the second conveyor belt 70 when they are transferred from the storage unit conveyor belt 40 to the lift conveyor unit 26.

[0057] In contrast, the receiving pulley 68 and the driving pulley 64 are positioned relative to each other such that the angle of attack Θ2 of the second conveyor belt is, for example, 3° to 10°. Therefore, when the coin processing device 4 transfers coins CN from the storage conveyor belt 40 to the lift conveyor belt 26, the coins CN are prevented from slipping off the second conveyor belt 70, and the coins CN are prevented from getting caught on the second conveyor belt 70.

[0058] In this configuration, the lift transport unit 26 grips the coins CN between the first transport belt 66 of the lift transport unit 26R and the second transport belt 70 of the lift transport unit 26L, and transports them upward to the coin dispensing tray 28 or the storage unit 90 (described later) by running the first transport belt 66 and the second transport belt 70. For the sake of explanation, the path by which the coins CN are transported by gripping them between the first transport belt 66 and the second transport belt 70 as they run will also be referred to as the upward transport path W.

[0059] [5. Configuration of the storage compartment, dispensing tray, and transfer section] Figure 7 shows the coin tray transfer section 72 in the storage section, which is the point where coins CN are transferred from the upper part of the lift transport section 26 to the coin dispensing tray 28 or the storage section 90. Note that Figure 7 shows the scrutiny switching state (described later). The dispensing switching state (described later) is not shown and is omitted.

[0060] The lower final pulley 74 is part of the lift conveying section 26R, has a diameter approximately the same as the first pulley 62 (Figure 6), and is positioned near the left side of the housing section 90 such that its upper end is above the lower end of the housing section 90.

[0061] The large driven pulley 76 is part of the lift conveying section 26R, has a diameter approximately twice that of the lower final pulley 74, and is positioned to the left of the lower final pulley 74, with a gap between it and the lower final pulley 74 in the left-right direction, so as to sandwich the coin dispensing tray 28 between them. Furthermore, the upper end of the large driven pulley 76 is positioned so that it is in approximately the same vertical position as the upper end of the lower final pulley 74.

[0062] A first conveyor belt 66 is stretched over each pulley in the lift conveyor section 26R, including the lower final pulley 74 and the large driven pulley 76. Between the lower final pulley 74 and the large driven pulley 76, the surface of the first conveyor belt 66 extends to the right along a nearly horizontal direction from the upper end of the large driven pulley 76 to the vicinity of the upper end of the housing section 90. Also, between the lower final pulley 74 and the large driven pulley 76, the surface of the first conveyor belt 66 is subjected to friction with the coin CN.

[0063] The upper final pulley 78 is part of the lift conveying section 26L, has a diameter approximately the same as the lower final pulley 74, and its lower end is positioned above the upper end of the large driven pulley 76, and is positioned between the large driven pulley 76 and the coin dispensing tray 28 in the left-right direction.

[0064] A second conveyor belt 70 is stretched over each pulley in the lift conveyor section 26L, including the upper final pulley 78. Between the upper final pulley 78 and the large driven pulley 76, the surface of the second conveyor belt 70 extends upward from the upper end of the large driven pulley 76 to the lower end of the upper final pulley 78. Also, between the upper final pulley 78 and the large driven pulley 76, the surface of the second conveyor belt 70 is subjected to friction with the coin CN.

[0065] The surface of the first conveyor belt 66 to the right of the large driven pulley 76 is almost horizontal. Here, the greater the second conveyor belt release angle Θ3, which is the angle of the second conveyor belt 70 between the large driven pulley 76 and the upper final pulley 78 with respect to the surface of the first conveyor belt 66 to the right of the large driven pulley 76, the greater the second conveyor belt 70 moves above the coin CN on the first conveyor belt 66. This makes it easier for the coin CN to fly out when it is released from the large driven pulley 76, and thus the release restraint guide 80 (described later) must be made larger.

[0066] On the other hand, if the second conveyor belt release angle Θ3 is too small, such as less than 10°, the coin CN is more likely to come into contact with the upper final pulley 78 when it is released from the large driven pulley 76. This would necessitate increasing the distance between the large driven pulley 76 and the upper final pulley 78.

[0067] In contrast, the large driven pulley 76, the lower final pulley 74, and the upper final pulley 78 are positioned relative to each other such that the second conveyor belt release angle Θ3 is, for example, 10° to 15°. As a result, the coin processing device 4 can suppress the enlargement of the release restraint guide 80, reduce the distance between the large driven pulley 76 and the upper final pulley 78, and stabilize the behavior of the coins CN when they are released from the large driven pulley 76.

[0068] Furthermore, the first conveyor belt 66 and the second conveyor belt 70 are set to travel at a faster speed than the storage unit conveyor belt 40 (Figure 6). In this embodiment, the first conveyor belt 66 and the second conveyor belt 70 travel at, for example, five times faster speed than the storage unit conveyor belt 40.

[0069] Between the large driven pulley 76 and the upper final pulley 78, the second conveyor belt 70 contacts the coin CN that has passed through the large driven pulley 76 and been propelled out by the momentum of the conveyance, thereby restricting its upward movement. Furthermore, the length of the second conveyor belt 70 between the large driven pulley 76 and the upper final pulley 78 is set to be longer than the diameter of the largest coin. This prevents the coin processing device 4 from the coin CN that has passed the upper end of the large driven pulley 76 from coming into contact with the upper final pulley 78.

[0070] A release-retaining guide 80 is provided above the first conveyor belt 66 to the right of the upper final pulley 78. The release-retaining guide 80 is a thin plate-shaped member positioned upward to the left, with its left tip fitting into a groove formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upper final pulley 78. When a coin CN released from the large driven pulley 76 flies out to a point where there is no upper final pulley 78 (i.e., the second conveyor belt 70), the release-retaining guide 80 contacts the coin CN and restricts its upward movement, thereby preventing the coin CN from flying off the first conveyor belt 66 and getting stuck, and controlling the behavior of the coin CN.

[0071] On the first conveyor belt 66, above the coin dispensing tray 28, a movable direction switching unit 82 is provided, which has the same configuration as the movable direction switching unit 50 (Figure 5) described above. The movable direction switching unit 82 is composed of a movable corner guide 83, which has the same configuration as the movable corner guide 51, and a movable corner guide drive unit (not shown).

[0072] In the refinement switching state (Figure 7), the movable corner guide 83 is retracted from the first conveyor belt 66 such that the lower end of the switching guide surface (not shown) is spaced wider than the thickness of the thickest coin between it and the surface of the first conveyor belt 66. Therefore, in the refinement switching state, coins CN being conveyed to the right on the first conveyor belt 66 pass under the switching guide surface of the movable corner guide 83 and continue to be conveyed to the right.

[0073] On the other hand, in the dispensing switching state (not shown), the movable corner guide 83 is positioned close to the first conveyor belt 66 such that the lower end of the switching guide surface (not shown) is less than the thickness of the thinnest coin between it and the surface of the first conveyor belt 66. Therefore, in the dispensing switching state, coins CN being transported to the right on the first conveyor belt 66 come into contact with the switching guide surface of the movable corner guide 83, and their direction of travel is switched 90° forward.

[0074] In the case of inspection processing, the movable direction switching unit 82 enters the inspection switching state (Figure 7), which transports the coins CN to the right without changing their direction of travel and switches the destination of the coins CN to the storage unit 90. In the case of dispensing processing, it enters the dispensing switching state, which changes the direction of travel of the coins CN that have been transported to the right by the first transport belt 66 90° forward and switches the destination of the coins to the coin dispensing tray 28.

[0075] The storage section 90 is located between the coin slot 14A and the coin dispensing section 14B (Figure 2). Therefore, coins CN transported to the storage section 90 are stored in the storage section 90 before falling into the coin dispensing section 14B.

[0076] A counting sensor 84 is provided on the path from the movable direction switching unit 82 to the coin dispensing tray 28. Another counting sensor 86 is provided between the movable direction switching unit 82 and the storage unit 90. The counting sensors 84 and 86 are, for example, optical sensors that detect coins CN that block the detection light and send the detection result to the control unit 8. Based on the detection results obtained from the counting sensors 84 and 86, the control unit 8 compares the number of coins CN dispensed from the coin storage unit 30 with the number of coins CN transported to the coin dispensing tray 28 and the storage unit 90, and determines the number of coins CN transported to the coin dispensing tray 28 and the storage unit 90.

[0077] [6. Operation] In this configuration, when the coin processing device 4 performs collection, dispensing, or verification processing, it releases coins CN one by one from the coin storage unit 30 and drops them onto the horizontal dispensing and conveying unit 22. The horizontal dispensing and conveying unit 22 conveys the coins CN in the forward horizontal dispensing and conveying direction Dt by the storage unit conveying belt 40. At this time, depending on the number and timing of the release of coins CN, the coins CN may overlap. The reverse roller 44 rotates to drop the coins CN that have overlapped onto the storage unit conveying belt 40, separating the coins CN one by one.

[0078] In the case of a collection process, the movable direction switching unit 50 enters a collection switching state, changing the direction of travel of the coins CN that have been transported in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt by the storage unit transport belt 40 to the left by 90° and switching the destination of the coins CN to the collection storage unit 24. On the other hand, in the case of a dispensing process or a scrutiny process, the movable direction switching unit 50 enters a dispensing scrutiny switching state, transporting the coins CN in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt without changing the direction of travel of the coins CN and switching the destination of the coins CN to the direction switching unit 54.

[0079] The direction switching unit 54 changes the direction of travel of the coins CN that have been transported on the storage unit conveyor belt 40 in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt to the lifting dispensing transport direction Dl, which is to the left by a direction switching angle (90°). Specifically, the direction switching unit 54 brings the coins CN into contact with the switching guide surface 54S1. Driven by the propulsion of the storage unit conveyor belt 40 moving in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt, the coins CN slide along the storage unit conveyor belt 40, come into contact with the switching guide surface 54S1, and change direction from the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt to the lifting dispensing transport direction Dl. The coins CN are then transported by the storage unit conveyor belt 40 to the point where they fall from the left end of the storage unit conveyor belt 40.

[0080] The coins CN fall from the storage unit conveyor belt 40 onto the second conveyor belt 70 of the lift conveyor unit 26. This transfers the coins CN from the horizontal dispensing conveyor unit 22 to the lift conveyor unit 26. The second conveyor belt 70 uses friction to place the coins CN on its surface and transport them to the drive pulley 64. If the coins CN bounce or flap around in the direction switching unit 54, the first conveyor belt 66, which is attached to the first pulley 62 located above the left end of the storage unit conveyor belt 40, comes into contact with the coins CN, and the friction pulls the coins CN toward the drive pulley 64 (left side). When the first conveyor belt 66 and the second conveyor belt 70 are in close contact at the drive pulley 64, the first conveyor belt 66 and the second conveyor belt 70 grip the coins CN. In this state, the lift conveyor unit 26 grips the coins CN with the first conveyor belt 66 and the second conveyor belt 70 and transports them upward.

[0081] Since there are no pulleys positioned to the left of the second conveyor belt 70 near the large driven pulley 76, the coin CN, which is held and conveyed between the first conveyor belt 66 and the second conveyor belt 70, moves while pushing the second conveyor belt 70 upward when it reaches the large driven pulley 76, as shown in Figure 8. Subsequently, the coin CN is released from the close contact between the first conveyor belt 66 and the second conveyor belt 70 and is released onto the first conveyor belt 66. After that, the coin CN is pressed onto the first conveyor belt 66 by the tension of the second conveyor belt 70 between the large driven pulley 76 and the upper final pulley 78, and is conveyed on the first conveyor belt 66 by the frictional force between the first conveyor belt 66 and the second conveyor belt 70. At this time, the release restraint guide 80 restricts the upward movement of the coin CN.

[0082] In the case of coin dispensing, the movable direction switching unit 82 enters the dispensing switching state, changing the direction of travel of the coins CN that have been transported to the right as the third direction on the first conveyor belt 66 to the forward direction by 90°, and switching the destination to the coin dispensing tray 28. On the other hand, in the case of scrutiny processing, the movable direction switching unit 82 enters the scrutiny switching state, transporting the coins CN to the right without changing their direction of travel, and switching the destination of the coins CN to the storage unit 90. The coins CN transported to the coin dispensing tray 28 are in a state waiting to be taken out by the user. The coins CN transported to the storage unit 90 are stored in the storage unit 90 and then fall into the coin dispensing unit 14B.

[0083] As described above, the first conveyor belt 66 and the second conveyor belt 70 are set to travel faster than the rotational speed of the storage conveyor belt 40. Therefore, the coin processing device 4 can transport the coins CN that have been continuously transported from the horizontal dispensing conveyor unit 22 to the lift conveyor unit 26 at intervals from each other in the lift conveyor unit 26 and count them using the counting sensors 84 and 86.

[0084] [7. Effects, etc.] Here, it is conceivable that the central axis of each pulley in the lift conveying section 26 is aligned in the left-right direction, the lift conveying section 26 is positioned in front of the storage section conveying belt 40, and the coins CN are transferred from the storage section conveying belt 40 to the lift conveying section 26 without providing a direction switching section 54 in the horizontal dispensing conveying section 22, while remaining in the horizontal dispensing conveying direction Dt without switching the direction of travel to the lifting dispensing conveying direction Dl. However, if the coin processing device 4 is configured in such a way, the first conveying belt 66 and the second conveying belt 70 must be positioned on the side of the horizontal dispensing conveying direction Dt relative to the storage section conveying belt 40, which would require a lot of space in the horizontal dispensing conveying direction Dt (i.e., the depth direction) of the coin processing device 4.

[0085] In contrast, the coin processing device 4 is equipped with a direction switching unit 54 near the end of the storage unit conveyor belt 40 on the horizontal dispensing conveying direction Dt side, which guides the coins CN on the storage unit conveyor belt 40 to the lifting dispensing conveying direction Dl, which is perpendicular to the horizontal dispensing conveying direction Dt.

[0086] Therefore, the coin processing device 4 can position the lift transport unit 26 on the side of the lifting and dispensing transport direction Dl relative to the storage unit transport belt 40. This allows the coin processing device 4 to reduce the space required in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt (i.e., the depth direction) compared to when the lift transport unit 26 is positioned on the side of the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt relative to the storage unit transport belt 40.

[0087] Furthermore, the coin processing device 4 includes a first pulley 62, which is a first pulley located in close proximity to the storage section conveyor belt 40 among a plurality of pulleys on which the first conveyor belt 66 is stretched, and a second pulley receiving pulley 68, which is a second pulley located in close proximity to the storage section conveyor belt 40 among a plurality of pulleys on which the second conveyor belt 70 is stretched, and located below the first pulley 62, facing the first pulley 62 at a predetermined distance. A lift conveyor transfer section 60 is formed between the first pulley 62 and the receiving pulley 68 to transfer the coins CN, which are guided in the lifting and dispensing conveyor direction Dl by the direction switching section 54, to the upper conveyor path W.

[0088] Furthermore, the coin processing device 4 is equipped with a movable direction switching unit 82 to the right of the large driven pulley 76 in the lift transport unit 26. In the case of inspection processing, the movable direction switching unit 82 does not change the direction of travel of the coins CN, and they are transported to the right, switching the destination of the coins CN to the storage unit 90. In the case of dispensing processing, the movable direction switching unit 82 changes the direction of travel of the coins CN that have been transported to the right on the first transport belt 66 by 90° forward, switching the destination to the coin dispensing tray 28.

[0089] Therefore, the coin processing device 4 can change the direction of travel of the coins CN, which have been changed by the direction switching unit 54 from the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt to the lifting dispensing transport direction Dl, toward the coin dispensing tray 28 located in front of the lift transport unit 26 (i.e., return to the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt), and transport the coins CN to the coin dispensing tray 28.

[0090] With the above configuration, the coin processing device 4 is provided with a coin storage unit 30 for storing coins CN, a storage unit conveyor belt 40 for conveying coins CN dispensed from the coin storage unit 30 in a horizontal dispensing and conveying direction Dt as a first direction, a direction switching unit 54 for guiding coins CN on the storage unit conveyor belt 40 in a lifting and dispensing and conveying direction Dl as a second direction intersecting the horizontal dispensing and conveying direction Dt, a first conveyor belt 66 as a first belt positioned on the upper side, which is one side of the coin CN guided in the lifting and dispensing and conveying direction Dl by the direction switching unit 54, and a lift conveyor unit 26 which forms an upper conveying path W as an upper conveying path for conveying coins CN upward while gripping them with a second conveyor belt 70 as a second belt positioned on the lower side, which is the other side of the coin CN.

[0091] As a result, the coin processing device 4 can reduce the area occupied by the coin transport path in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt compared to the case where the coin transport device 4 transfers coins CN from the storage unit transport belt 40 to the lift transport unit 26 without changing its direction of travel in the horizontal dispensing transport direction Dt.

[0092] [8. Other Embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, the coin processing device 4 was described with a travel direction switching angle of 90°. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the coin processing device 4 may have a travel direction switching angle greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°. In this case, the larger the travel direction switching angle, the easier it is to miniaturize the coin processing device 4. However, if the travel direction switching angle is greater than 90°, the travel direction switching angle becomes too large and coins CN are more likely to jam, so it is preferable that the travel direction switching angle be 90° or less.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the coin processing device 4 is described in which the switching guide surface 54S1 of the direction switching unit 54 is a concave curved surface that curves towards the lifting coin dispensing direction Dl as it moves toward the horizontal dispensing direction Dt. The present invention is not limited to this, and the coin processing device 4 may have various other shapes for the switching guide surface 54S1 as long as it can change the direction of travel of the coin CN from the horizontal dispensing direction Dt to the lifting coin dispensing direction Dl.

[0094] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the coin processing device 4 was described in a case where the surface of the storage unit conveying belt 40 is aligned horizontally. The present invention is not limited to this, and the coin processing device 4 may also have the surface of the storage unit conveying belt 40 inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, such as being angled upwards in the front, upwards in the back, upwards to the right, or upwards to the left.

[0095] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the coin processing device 4 is described in a case where the surface of the first conveyor belt 66 to the right of the large driven pulley 76 (Figure 7) is aligned substantially horizontally. The present invention is not limited to this, and the coin processing device 4 may also tilt the surface of the first conveyor belt 66 to the right of the large driven pulley 76 with respect to the horizontal direction, such as being angled upwards in the front, upwards in the back, upwards to the right, or upwards to the left.

[0096] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the coin processing device 4 transports coins CN from the storage unit transport belt 40 in the lifting and dispensing transport direction Dl and hands them over to the lift transport unit 26, the lift transport unit 26 lifts the coins CN, and transports the coins CN from the large driven pulley 76 of the lift transport unit 26 to the coin dispensing tray 28 or storage unit 90 in the rightward direction, opposite to the lifting and dispensing transport direction Dl. The present invention is not limited to this, and depending on the arrangement of the coin dispensing tray 28 and storage unit 90, the coin processing device 4 may also transport coins CN from the storage unit transport belt 40 in the lifting and dispensing transport direction Dl and hand them over to the lift transport unit 26, the lift transport unit 26 lifts the coins CN, and transports the coins CN from the upper pulley of the lift transport unit 26 to the coin dispensing tray 28 or storage unit 90 in the lifting and dispensing transport direction Dl.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the coin processing device 4 was described in a case where the lift transport unit 26 is positioned on the Dl side (left side) of the storage unit transport belt 40 in the lifting and dispensing transport direction. The present invention is not limited to this, and depending on the arrangement of the coin dispensing tray 28 and the storage unit 90, the coin processing device 4 may also be configured with the lift transport unit 26 positioned on the right side of the storage unit transport belt 40, and the lift transport unit 26 may be configured symmetrically to that in the embodiment, with the center of the storage unit transport belt 40 in the left-right direction as the axis.

[0098] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment described the application of the present invention to a coin processing device 4, which is a cash register change dispenser that performs various transactions with the user. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to various other devices that handle coins, such as self-checkout machines.

[0099] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and other embodiments. That is, the scope of the present invention extends to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the embodiments described above and other embodiments. In addition, the scope of the present invention also extends when a part of the configuration described in any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments is extracted and substituted or adapted for a part of the configuration of any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments, or when the extracted part of the configuration is added to any embodiment.

[0100] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, we have described a case in which the currency handling device 1 is configured with a display operation unit 11 as an operation unit, a coin storage unit 30 as a coin storage unit, a storage unit transport belt 40 as a dispensing transport belt, a direction switching unit 54 as a guide unit, and a lift transport unit 26 as a lift transport unit. The present invention is not limited to this, and the currency handling device may be configured with an operation unit, coin storage unit, dispensing transport belt, guide unit, and lift transport unit having various other configurations. [Industrial applicability]

[0101] The present invention can be used, for example, in a coin processing device that performs coin-related transaction processing with a user. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1... Currency handling device, 2... Banknote processing device, 4... Coin processing device, 6... Housing, 8... Control unit, 9... Banknote deposit slot, 10... Banknote dispensing slot, 11... Display and operation unit, 12... Receipt printer, 14... Coin deposit unit, 14A... Coin insertion slot, 14B... Coin dispensing unit, 15... Coin delivery unit, 16... Coin identification unit, 17... Deposit transport unit, 18... Reject hole, 19... Acceptance hole, 20... Reject chute, 21... Chute by denomination, 22... Horizontal dispensing transport unit, 24... Collection unit, 26... Lift transport unit, 28... Coin dispensing tray, 30... Coin storage unit, 32... Reject gate, 34... Gate by denomination, 36... Transport guide, 38... Pin belt, 38B... Endless belt, 38P... Pin, 40... Storage unit transport belt, 42... Pulley, 44... Reverse - Roller, 46... Reverse roller guide, 50... Movable direction switching section, 51... Movable corner guide, 51S1... Switching guide surface, 51S2... Upper guide surface, 51S3... Side guide surface, 54... Direction switching section, 54S1... Switching guide surface, 54S2... Upper guide surface, 60... Lift conveying section transfer section, 62... First pulley, 64... Drive pulley, 66... ​​First conveying belt, 68... Receiving pulley, 70... Second conveying belt, 72... Storage section dispensing tray transfer section, 74... Lower final pulley, 76... Large driven pulley, 78... Upper final pulley, 80... Discharge suppression guide, 82... Movable direction switching section, 83... Movable corner guide, 84, 86... Counting sensor, 90... Storage section, Dt... Horizontal dispensing conveying direction, Dl... Lifting dispensing conveying direction, W... Upward conveying path.

Claims

1. A coin storage compartment for storing coins, A coin dispensing conveying belt that transports the coins dispensed from the coin storage unit in a first direction, A guide section that guides the coins on the dispensing conveying belt in a second direction which intersects with the first direction and also intersects with the vertical direction, A lift conveying unit that forms an upward conveying path for transporting the coin upward while gripping it with a first belt positioned on one side of the coin and a second belt positioned on the other side of the coin, which are guided in the second direction by the guide unit. A coin processing device characterized by having the following features.

2. The aforementioned lift transport unit is Among the plurality of pulleys on which the first belt is tensioned, the first pulley is located in close proximity to the pay-out conveying belt, Among the plurality of pulleys on which the second belt is tensioned, the second pulley is provided at a position close to the pay-out conveying belt and below the first pulley, facing the first pulley at a predetermined distance. Equipped with, A transfer section is formed between the first pulley and the second pulley to transfer the coins, which are guided in the second direction by the guide section, to the upper transport path. The coin processing device according to feature 1.

3. The first pulley is provided closer to the payout conveying belt than the second pulley with respect to the second direction. The first belt travels in contact with the coin and pulls the coin into the upper transport path. The coin processing device according to feature 2.

4. A third pulley is provided on the second side of the first pulley and the second pulley, and the first belt and the second belt are tensioned on it. It further possesses, The angle of the first belt between the first pulley and the third pulley with respect to the surface of the payout conveying belt is between 0° and 3°. The coin processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

5. A third pulley is provided on the second side of the first pulley and the second pulley, and the first belt and the second belt are tensioned on it. It further possesses, The angle of the second belt between the second pulley and the third pulley with respect to the surface of the payout conveying belt is between 3° and 10°. The coin processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

6. A direction switching unit provided above the dispensing conveying belt in the lift conveying unit, which switches the direction of the coins being conveyed in a third direction intersecting the first direction in the lift conveying unit, so that they either continue to move in the third direction or move in the first direction. The coin processing device according to claim 1, further comprising the features described above.

7. The aforementioned direction switching unit is In the lift transport section, the coins guided in a direction intersecting the first direction are either moved toward the coin storage compartment while continuing in the direction intersecting the first direction, or moved toward the first direction and then toward the coin dispensing section which discharges the coins outside the coin processing device. The coin processing device according to feature 6.

8. The aforementioned guide portion is The coins on the coin dispensing conveyor belt are guided in the second direction, which is perpendicular to both the first direction and the vertical direction. The coin processing device according to feature 1.

9. A collection unit for collecting the coins dispensed from the coin storage unit, A collection switching unit is provided upstream of the guide unit in the first direction, and switches the direction of the coins being transported in the first direction on the dispensing conveying belt, so that they either continue to move in the first direction or move in the second direction. The coin processing device according to claim 1, further comprising the features described above.

10. An operating unit that accepts operations related to the processing of coins, The coin slot into which the aforementioned coins are inserted, A coin storage compartment for storing the aforementioned coins, A coin dispensing conveying belt that transports the coins dispensed from the coin storage unit in a first direction, A guide section that guides the coins on the dispensing conveying belt in a second direction which intersects with the first direction and also intersects with the vertical direction, A lift conveying unit that forms an upward conveying path for transporting the coin upward while gripping it with a first belt positioned on one side of the coin and a second belt positioned on the other side of the coin, which are guided in the second direction by the guide unit. A currency handling device characterized by having the following features.

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