Banknote processing equipment

Abstract

To make it easy to draw a bill.SOLUTION: A bill processing device includes: a device main body provided to be drawable from an enclosure; a bill storage provided to be removable from the device main body and configured to store bills; and a drawing detection unit configured to detect drawing of the device main body from the enclosure. The bill storage includes a bill storage space configured to store bills, and a partition part configured to partition the bill storage space into a first storage space and a second storage space and move in a direction for widening or narrowing the first storage space to switch a bill storage destination to the first storage space or the second storage space. When drawing of the device main body from the enclosure is detected by the drawing detection unit, the partition part moves in the direction for widening the first storage space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a combination of a POS register connected to a POS (Point Of Sales) system or the like and a change dispenser that performs deposit and withdrawal processing of banknotes and coins has become widespread. Conventionally, as a banknote processing device included in this type of change dispenser, reject banknotes determined to be unsuitable for change due to dirt or the like among the deposited banknotes and banknotes to be collected during settlement processing are stored in a detachable collection cassette with respect to the device main body.

[0003] The collection cassette has an internal space partitioned by a partition portion into a reject banknote storage for storing reject banknotes and a collection banknote storage for storing collected banknotes. Further, by moving this partition portion, the storage destination of the banknotes conveyed to the collection cassette can be switched between the reject banknote storage and the collection banknote storage. <00>

[0004] In addition, the collection cassette is provided with a banknote outlet connected to the reject banknote storage on one side surface, and it was possible to take out the reject banknotes stored in the reject banknote storage from this banknote outlet while the collection cassette was mounted on the device main body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, conventional banknote processing systems had a problem in that the reject compartment was smaller than the size of the collection compartment, and the banknote retrieval opening was narrow, making it difficult to remove banknotes.

[0007] This invention was made with the above points in mind, and aims to propose a banknote processing device that makes it easier to remove banknotes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a banknote processing device comprising a housing, a device body retractably provided from the housing, a banknote storage compartment for storing banknotes retractably provided to the device body, and a withdrawal detection unit for detecting when the device body is withdrawn from the housing, wherein the banknote storage compartment comprises a banknote storage space for storing banknotes, and a partition unit that divides the banknote storage space into a first storage space and a second storage space, and moves in a direction to widen and narrow the first storage space to switch the storage destination of banknotes to the first storage space or the second storage space, wherein the partition unit moves in a direction to widen the first storage space when the withdrawal detection unit detects that the device body has been withdrawn from the housing.

[0009] In this way, by widening the first storage space when the device body is pulled out from the casing, it is possible to widen the first storage space and make it easier to remove the banknotes stored in the first storage space when the device body is pulled out and the banknotes stored in the first storage space are to be taken out. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a banknote processing device that makes it easier to remove banknotes can be realized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a deposit / withdrawal machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2]This is a perspective view showing how the banknote unit according to the first embodiment slides. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the banknote unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows the internal configuration of the banknote unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the recovery cassette according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the internal configuration of the recovery cassette according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a banknote unit according to the first embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. External configuration of the deposit / withdrawal machine] Figure 1 shows the external appearance of a cash deposit / withdrawal machine 1 as a first embodiment. The cash deposit / withdrawal machine 1 shown in Figure 1 is a self-service payment machine capable of depositing and withdrawing banknotes and coins, and is installed, for example, in the payment areas of retail stores such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations. This cash deposit / withdrawal machine 1 is connected to a cash register such as a POS register (not shown) and operates based on the control of the said cash register.

[0014] The deposit / withdrawal machine 1 has a box-shaped casing 2. Of the surfaces forming the casing 2, the surface facing the user is called the front surface 2a, and the surface above the user is called the top surface 2b.

[0015] The housing 2 is a box-shaped body that is longer in the vertical direction than in the front-rear and left-right directions. At the center of the upper surface 2b, there are provided a receipt printer 3 that outputs receipts on which transaction details and the like are described, and an operation display unit 4 that functions as a display unit for displaying various screens and an operation unit for receiving operation inputs for the various screens displayed on the display unit. As the operation display unit 4, for example, a display with a touch panel is used.

[0016] Furthermore, on the upper left side of the front surface 2a of the housing 2, there is provided a bill insertion slot 5 into which bills are inserted, and further below the bill insertion slot 5, there is provided a bill discharge slot 6 from which bills are discharged. Note that, for example, shutters are provided at the bill insertion slot 5 and the bill discharge slot 6, and they are configured to be exposed or shielded by opening and closing the shutters. The bill insertion slot 5 and the bill discharge slot 6 are incorporated into the deposit and withdrawal machine 1 as a part of a bill unit 7 described later.

[0017] Furthermore, on the front surface 2a of the housing 2, on the right side of the bill insertion slot 5, there is provided a coin insertion slot 8 into which coins are inserted, and further below the bill discharge slot 6, there is provided a coin discharge slot 9 from which coins are discharged. The coin insertion slot 8 and the coin discharge slot 9 are incorporated into the deposit and withdrawal machine 1 as a part of a coin unit 10.

[0018] Also, the housing 2 is a door 11 whose front surface 2a can be opened and closed, and by opening this door 11, access to the interior (that is, the bill unit 7 and the coin unit 10) can be achieved.

[0019] [1-2. Appearance and internal structure of the bill unit] Next, the appearance and internal structure of the bill unit 7 will be described using FIGS. 2 to 4. As shown in the external perspective view in FIG. 2(B), the bill unit 7 has a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped device main body 20 that is long in the front-rear direction.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2(A), the banknote unit 7 is housed in a banknote unit storage section 12 located inside the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1. The banknote unit 7 is supported so as to be slidable in the front-to-back direction by slide rails 21 extending in the front-to-back direction, which are provided on the lower left and right sides of the main body 20 of the device. These slide rails 21 engage with slide guides 13 provided in the banknote unit storage section 12.

[0021] In other words, the banknote unit 7 is slidable in the front-rear direction between a state in which the portion of the device body 20 excluding the front end is stored inside the banknote unit storage section 12 (hereinafter referred to as the stored state), as shown in Figure 2(A), and a state in which the device body 20 is pulled forward and almost the entire device body 20 is exposed to the outside of the banknote unit storage section 12 (hereinafter referred to as the exposed state), as shown in Figure 2(B).

[0022] In the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, for example, a maintenance worker can open the door 11 (see Figure 1), pull out the banknote unit 7 to the withdrawal position, and perform maintenance work on the banknote unit 7. Once the work is completed, the maintenance worker pushes the banknote unit 7 back into the stored position and closes the door 11.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3(A), the banknote unit 7 has a banknote slot 5 at the top front of the device body 20 into which banknotes are inserted, and a banknote outlet 6 at the bottom front into which banknotes are discharged. Note that in the banknote unit 7 shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), the banknote slot 5 and banknote outlet 6 are covered with shutters. The banknote unit 7 takes in banknotes inserted into the banknote slot 5 by the user and stores them inside the device body 20, and also discharges the stored banknotes as change from the banknote outlet 6.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the internal configuration diagram is provided inside the main body 20 of the banknote unit 7, which is a part that performs various processing related to banknotes, and includes a banknote deposit section 22, a banknote dispensing section 23, a banknote recognition section 24, a 1,000-yen note storage section 25, a 5,000-yen note storage section 26, a 10,000-yen note storage section 27, a collection cassette 28, a banknote transport path R connecting these, and a control unit 29.

[0025] The banknote deposit section 22 is located at the upper front end inside the main body of the device 20 (i.e., behind the banknote slot 5). This banknote deposit section 22 is connected to the banknote slot 5 and separates the banknotes (i.e., the banknotes to be deposited) inserted into the banknote slot 5 by the user one by one and feeds them out into the banknote transport path R. The banknote dispensing section 23 is located at the lower front end inside the main body of the device 20 (i.e., behind the banknote discharge port 6 and below the banknote deposit section 22). This banknote dispensing section 23 is connected to the banknote discharge port 6 and discharges the banknotes to be used as change (i.e., the banknotes to be dispensed) from the banknote discharge port 6 in a stacked state with the paper faces facing up and down.

[0026] The banknote transport path R uses rollers, belts, etc., to transport rectangular banknotes in the shorter direction. Although not shown in the diagram, blades are provided at branching points in the banknote transport path R to switch the destination of the banknotes.

[0027] The banknote recognition unit 24 is located behind the banknote deposit unit 22. The banknote recognition unit 24 transports banknotes along the banknote transport path R, and while transporting them internally, it uses optical elements, magnetic detection elements, etc., to recognize the denomination, authenticity, condition (whether or not it is damaged), and transport status of the banknotes, and notifies the control unit 29 of the identification result. Based on the identification result notified by the banknote recognition unit 24, the control unit 29 controls the blades, etc., to determine the destination of the banknotes.

[0028] Below the banknote recognition unit 24, a collection cassette 28 is provided, and further behind the collection cassette 28, a 1,000-yen banknote storage unit 25, a 5,000-yen banknote storage unit 26, and a 10,000-yen banknote storage unit 27 are provided. These 1,000-yen banknote storage units 25, 5,000-yen banknote storage unit 26, and 10,000-yen banknote storage unit 27 are collectively referred to as banknote storage units. Each of the 1,000-yen banknote storage unit 25, 5,000-yen banknote storage unit 26, and 10,000-yen banknote storage unit 27 has a space inside for accumulating and storing banknotes. When banknotes that have been determined by the banknote recognition unit 24 to be only slightly damaged and reusable (i.e., usable as change) are transported by denomination, each of the 1,000-yen banknote storage unit 25, 5,000-yen banknote storage unit 26, and 10,000-yen banknote storage unit 27 accumulate and store them inside. Furthermore, when the control unit 29 instructs the 1,000-yen banknote storage unit 25, 5,000-yen banknote storage unit 26, and 10,000-yen banknote storage unit 27 to dispense banknotes, they separate the stored banknotes one by one and dispense them into the banknote transport path R.

[0029] The collection cassette 28 is a cassette having an upper reject compartment 28A and a lower collection compartment 28B, and is detachably mounted to the main body 20 of the banknote unit 7. As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), the collection cassette 28 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 20C (see Figure 2(B)) provided on the main body 20, with a portion of it exposed through an opening 20H provided on the left side 20L of the main body 20. As shown in Figure 2(B), the collection cassette 28 can be removed from the cassette mounting section 20C by pulling it to the left through the opening 20H (omitted in Figure 2(B)) of the main body 20, and can also be mounted in the cassette mounting section 20C by pushing it into the opening 20H of the main body 20.

[0030] Returning to Figure 4, when the banknote recognition unit 24 detects that a banknote is unsuitable for change due to soiling, double feeding, etc., from among the banknotes dispensed from the banknote storage compartments (1,000-yen compartment 25, 5,000-yen compartment 26, and 10,000-yen compartment 27), the collection cassette 28 stores these banknotes in the reject compartment 28A. The collection cassette 28 is also configured to store the banknotes to be collected in the collection compartment 28B when they are transported during the collection process, in which some or all of the banknotes stored in the banknote storage compartments are collected as sales proceeds. More details about the collection cassette 28 will be described later.

[0031] Furthermore, the banknote unit 7 is equipped with a sensor 30 at a predetermined location (for example, on the rear end side of the main body 20 of the device) to detect the sliding state of the banknote unit 7. Specifically, this sensor 30 is, for example, a switch-type sensor, which is ON when the banknote unit 7 is in the stored state shown in Figure 2(A), and OFF when the banknote unit 7 is pulled forward from the stored state. The output of this sensor 30 is notified to the control unit 29.

[0032] Furthermore, the banknote unit 7 is equipped with a sensor 31 near the collection cassette 28 that detects the attachment / detachment status of the collection cassette 28. Specifically, this sensor 31 is, for example, a switch-type sensor that turns ON when the collection cassette 28 is attached to the cassette mounting section 20C, and OFF when it is removed from the cassette mounting section 20C. The output of this sensor 31 is also notified to the control unit 29.

[0033] The banknote unit 7 has this configuration, and the control unit 29 controls each part based on the banknote recognition result from the banknote recognition unit 24 and the output (ON, OFF) of sensors 30 and 31 to perform banknote deposit, withdrawal, and collection processes.

[0034] [1-3. Configuration of the recovery cassette] Next, the configuration of the recovery cassette 28 will be explained in more detail using Figures 5 and 6. As shown in the external perspective view in Figure 5, the recovery cassette 28 has a cassette housing 40 that is roughly rectangular in shape and elongated in the left-right direction. More specifically, the cassette housing 40 has a shape in which the central part 40LC in the vertical direction of the left side surface 40L protrudes to the left, giving it a convex shape when viewed from the rear and front.

[0035] As shown in the left side view in Figure 6 (partially omitted), the cassette housing 40 has a slit-shaped receiving opening 41 at the top of the front 40F for receiving banknotes transported along the banknote transport path R, and as shown in Figure 5, a banknote removal opening 42 for removing banknotes stored in the reject compartment 28A (see Figure 6) is provided at the top of the left side 40L (above the central part 40LC).

[0036] The banknote dispensing opening 42 is rectangular in shape and elongated in the front-to-back direction. As shown in Figure 6, the lower edge 42B slopes downward from the rear end to the front end, and the opening is wider vertically on the front end side (right side of Figure 6) than on the rear end side (left side of Figure 6). The upper and left and right edges of the banknote dispensing opening 42, other than the lower edge 42B, are provided along the upper and left and right walls of the reject compartment 28A located behind the banknote dispensing opening 42. The banknote dispensing opening 42 is shielded by an openable and closable door 43 (omitted in Figure 6, see Figure 5), and is exposed when this door 43 is opened.

[0037] The cassette housing 40 is provided with a banknote storage space 44 that occupies most of the interior, an internal transport path 45 that connects the front upper part of the banknote storage space 44 to the receiving slot 41, a collection roller section 46 provided on the internal transport path 45, and a reject compartment plate 47 that divides the banknote storage space 44 into an upper reject compartment 28A and a lower collection compartment 28B.

[0038] The stacking roller section 46 consists of two rollers positioned opposite each other vertically with an internal transport path 45 in between. The two rollers hold the banknotes between them and release them from the internal transport path 45 into the banknote storage space 44. Although not shown in the diagram, the lower roller of the stacking roller section 46 is, for example, a tongue roller with radially extending tongues on the outer circumference of a cylindrical roller.

[0039] The reject compartment plate 47 is located behind the internal transport path 45 and is rotatable around a pivot shaft 47S located at its rear end, between a first position (shown by a solid line) where its front end is above the internal transport path 45 and a second position (shown by a dotted line) where its front end is below the internal transport path 45. The reject compartment plate 47 is biased to the first position by a biasing member, such as a spring (not shown), and rotates from the first position to the second position by the driving force of the plate drive unit 101 (see Figure 7), which will be described later.

[0040] Here, when the reject compartment plate 47 is in the first position, the reject compartment 28A is at its narrowest and the collection compartment 28B is at its widest. At this time, the vertical position of the rear end of the reject compartment plate 47 is approximately the same as the rear end of the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42, and the vertical position of the front end is above the front end of the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42. On the other hand, when the reject compartment plate 47 is in the second position, the reject compartment 28A is at its widest and the collection compartment 28B is at its narrowest. At this time, the vertical position of the rear end of the reject compartment plate 47 is approximately the same as the rear end of the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42, and the vertical position of the front end is also approximately the same as the front end of the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42. In other words, at this time, the reject compartment plate 47 is parallel to the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42 and its vertical position is approximately equal to that of the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42.

[0041] In the collection cassette 28, when the collected banknotes are to be stored in the collection compartment 28B, the reject compartment plate 47 is rotated to the first position and stopped. At this time, the front end of the reject compartment plate 47 is above the internal transport path 45, so the banknotes that enter from the receiving opening 41 are collected by the accumulation roller section 46, passing from the internal transport path 45 under the reject compartment plate 47 and into the collection compartment 28B located below the reject compartment plate 47.

[0042] On the other hand, in the collection cassette 28, when storing rejected banknotes in the reject compartment 28A, the reject compartment plate 47 is rotated to the second position and stopped. At this time, the front end of the reject compartment plate 47 is below the internal transport path 45, so the banknotes that enter from the receiving opening 41 are collected by the accumulation roller section 46, passing from the internal transport path 45 over the reject compartment plate 47 and into the reject compartment 28A located above the reject compartment plate 47.

[0043] Furthermore, a sensor 48 is provided inside the cassette casing 40 to detect the presence or absence of banknotes stored in the reject compartment 28A. Specifically, this sensor 48 is, for example, a photoelectric sensor, which turns ON when banknotes are stored in the reject compartment 28A and OFF when no banknotes are stored. The output of this sensor 48 is also notified to the control unit 29 of the banknote unit 7.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), when the collection cassette 28 is mounted on the main body 20 of the banknote unit 7, the left side 40L of the cassette housing 40 is exposed through an opening 20H provided on the left side 20L of the main body 20. At this time, the collection cassette 28 can expose the banknote outlet 42 by opening the door 43, and rejected banknotes stored in the reject compartment 28A can be removed from this banknote outlet 42.

[0045] In other words, when the banknote unit 7 is pulled out from the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, it is possible to remove rejected banknotes from the banknote outlet 42 of the collection cassette 28 while the collection cassette 28 is still attached.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the collection cassette 28 has a door 49 on the rear surface 40B of the cassette housing 40 that can be opened and closed. When the banknote unit 7 is removed from the main unit 20 of the device, opening this door 49 allows access to the interior, and the banknotes stored in the reject compartment 28A and the collection compartment 28B can be taken out. The configuration of the collection cassette 28 is as described above.

[0047] [1-4. Functional configuration of the banknote unit 7] Next, the functional configuration of the banknote unit 7 will be explained using Figure 7. Note that here, only the functional configuration related to the operation of the rejection plate 47 of the collection cassette 28 will be explained; the other functional configurations will be omitted.

[0048] The banknote unit 7 has a control unit 29, a state detection unit 100, a plate drive unit 101, and a rejection plate 47 as functional components related to the operation of the rejection plate 47.

[0049] The state detection unit 100 includes sensors 30, 31, and 48, and notifies the control unit 29 of the output of each of the sensors 30, 31, and 48. The plate drive unit 101 has a solenoid for rotating, for example, the reject compartment plate 47. By turning the solenoid ON (i.e., energizing the solenoid) according to instructions from the control unit 29, the reject compartment plate 47 is rotated to a second position (a position where the storage destination is the reject compartment 28A), and by turning the solenoid OFF (i.e., stopping the power supply to the solenoid), the reject compartment plate 47 is rotated to a first position (a position where the storage destination is the recovery compartment 28B). In other words, the reject compartment plate 47 is normally biased to the first position and is configured to rotate from the first position to the second position by the solenoid.

[0050] The control unit 29 controls the rotation of the reject compartment plate 47 (i.e., the operation of the plate drive unit 101) based on the outputs of sensors 30, 31, and 48 notified by the state detection unit 100. The functional configuration of the banknote unit 7 is as described above.

[0051] [1-5. Operation of the Reject Cabinet Plate] Next, the operation of the reject compartment plate 47 will be described. Here, the operation of the reject compartment plate 47 when storing banknotes in the collection cassette 28 and the operation of the reject compartment plate 47 when removing rejected banknotes from the reject compartment 28A of the collection cassette 28 will be described. As mentioned above, the operation of the reject compartment plate 47 is controlled by the control unit 29 via the plate drive unit 101.

[0052] First, let's explain the operation of the reject compartment plate 47 when storing banknotes in the collection cassette 28. As mentioned above, the operation at this time will be explained briefly, but when storing the banknotes to be collected in the collection compartment 28B, the control unit 29 rotates the reject compartment plate 47 to the first position, and when storing the rejected banknotes in the reject compartment 28A, the reject compartment plate 47 rotates to the second position.

[0053] Next, we will explain the operation of the reject compartment plate 47 when removing rejected banknotes from the reject compartment 28A of the collection cassette 28 (i.e., removing banknotes from the banknote dispensing opening 42). As mentioned above, in order to remove rejected banknotes from the banknote dispensing opening 42 of the reject compartment 28A, it is necessary to pull the banknote unit 7 forward from the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1 to expose the left side 40L of the cassette housing 40 of the collection cassette 28 (i.e., the side on which the banknote dispensing opening 42 is provided).

[0054] Therefore, when the control unit 29 determines from the output of the sensor 30 that the banknote unit 7 has been pulled forward from the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, it rotates the reject compartment plate 47 to the second position (that is, rotates it in the direction that expands the reject compartment 28A) and stops it.

[0055] At this time, as shown in Figure 6, the reject compartment plate 47 is parallel to the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42 and is approximately the same in the vertical direction. Since the upper part of the reject compartment plate 47 becomes the reject compartment 28A, the size of the reject compartment 28A as seen from the banknote dispensing opening 42 side (i.e., the left side of the collection cassette 28) has expanded to approximately the same size as the banknote dispensing opening 42.

[0056] In other words, when the reject compartment plate 47 is in the first position, the front end of the reject compartment plate 47 is located above the front end of the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42. As a result, the area within the entire banknote dispensing opening 42 where you can actually reach in and remove rejected banknotes (the area enclosed by the reject compartment plate 47 and the top and left and right edges of the banknote dispensing opening 42) Ar1 becomes narrower than the banknote dispensing opening 42 itself.

[0057] In contrast, when the reject compartment plate 47 is in the second position, the area within the entire banknote dispensing opening 42 where one can actually reach in and remove rejected banknotes (the area enclosed by the reject compartment plate 47 and the top and left and right edges of the banknote dispensing opening 42) Ar1 becomes about the same size as the banknote dispensing opening 42, and is wider than when it is in the first position.

[0058] In this manner, when the banknote unit 7 is pulled forward from the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, the control unit 29 rotates the reject compartment plate 47 to a second position, widening the size of the reject compartment 28A as seen from the banknote outlet 42 side to approximately the same size as the banknote outlet 42, thereby making it easier to remove rejected banknotes from the banknote outlet 42.

[0059] Subsequently, for example, when the collection cassette 28 is removed from the banknote unit 7, the power supply from the banknote unit 7 to the collection cassette 28 is cut off, the solenoid turns OFF, and the reject compartment plate 47 returns to the first position. At the same time, on the banknote unit 7 side, if the control unit 29 determines from the output result of the sensor 31 that the collection cassette 28 has been removed, it cuts off the power supply to the collection cassette 28.

[0060] Furthermore, when the control unit 29 of the collection cassette 28 determines from the output of the sensor 30 that the banknote unit 7 that was pulled out forward has been stored again in the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, it rotates the reject compartment plate 47 from the second position to the first position during the mechanical initial operation (initialization operation) performed at this time. The operation of the reject compartment plate 47 is as described above.

[0061] [1-6. Summary and Effects] As described above, in the first embodiment, the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, which is a banknote processing device, is provided with a housing 2, a device body 20 that is retractable from the housing 2, a collection cassette 28 that is retractable from the device body 20 and serves as a banknote storage compartment for storing banknotes, and a sensor 30 that detects when the device body 20 is pulled out from the housing 2.

[0062] Furthermore, the collection cassette 28 is provided with a banknote storage space 44 for storing banknotes, and the banknote storage space 44 is divided into a reject compartment 28A as a first storage space and a collection compartment 28B as a second storage space for banknotes. By moving (rotating) the reject compartment 28A in the direction of expanding or narrowing, a reject compartment plate 47 is provided as a partition that switches the storage destination of banknotes between the reject compartment 28A and the collection compartment 28B.

[0063] Furthermore, when the sensor 30 detects that the main body of the device 20 has been pulled out of the housing 2, the reject compartment plate 47 is configured to move in a direction that expands the reject compartment 28A (i.e., from the first position to the second position).

[0064] In this way, when the main body of the device 20 is pulled out from the housing 2, the reject compartment plate 47 is moved to widen the reject compartment 28A, making it easier to remove the rejected banknotes stored in the reject compartment 28A when the main body of the device 20 is pulled out and the rejected banknotes stored in the reject compartment 28A are to be taken out.

[0065] In other words, when the reject compartment plate 47 is moved from the first position to the second position in a direction that widens the reject compartment 28A, the size of the reject compartment 28A as seen from the banknote dispensing opening 42 side, which is located on one side of the cassette housing 40 as a storage compartment housing and is connected to the reject compartment 28A, becomes largest.

[0066] As a result, compared to the case where the reject compartment plate 47 is in the first position, the area Ar1 within the entire banknote dispensing opening 42 from which a hand can actually be inserted to remove rejected banknotes (the area enclosed by the reject compartment plate 47 and the top and left and right edges of the banknote dispensing opening 42) becomes wider, making it easier to remove banknotes stored in the reject compartment 28A.

[0067] In this embodiment, the cash deposit / withdrawal machine 1 is also provided with a plate drive unit 101, which acts as a drive unit for rotating the reject compartment plate 47. When the sensor 30 detects that the device body 20 has been pulled out of the housing 2, the plate drive unit 101 is energized to drive the plate drive unit 101 (turning on the solenoid), thereby rotating the reject compartment plate 47 to the second position. When the sensor 30 detects that the pulled-out device body 20 has been reattached to the housing 2, the power to the plate drive unit 101 is cut off to stop the drive of the plate drive unit 101 (turning off the solenoid), thereby returning the reject compartment plate 47 to the first position.

[0068] This prevents the plate drive unit 101 from being continuously energized, thereby reducing the power consumption of the plate drive unit 101 and suppressing the heat generated by the plate drive unit 101.

[0069] [2. Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In this second embodiment, the operation of rotating the reject compartment plate 47 to a second position where rejected banknotes can be easily removed is performed under more limited conditions than in the first embodiment. In other words, in this second embodiment, the operation of the reject compartment plate 47 when removing rejected banknotes from the reject compartment 28A of the collection cassette 28 differs from that of the first embodiment, while the configuration of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, banknote unit 7, collection cassette 28, etc., is the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, here we will describe the operation of the reject compartment plate 47 when removing rejected banknotes from the reject compartment 28A of the collection cassette 28.

[0070] [2-1. Operation of the Rejection Cabinet Plate] As described in the first embodiment, in order to remove rejected banknotes from the banknote dispensing opening 42 of the reject compartment 28A, it is necessary to pull the banknote unit 7 forward from the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1 to expose the left side 40L of the cassette housing 40 of the collection cassette 28 (i.e., the side on which the banknote dispensing opening 42 is provided).

[0071] Furthermore, in order to remove rejected banknotes from the banknote dispensing slot 42, at least rejected banknotes must be stored in the rejected compartment 28A. On the other hand, if the collection cassette 28 has been removed from the banknote unit 7, it is not necessary to remove rejected banknotes from the banknote dispensing slot 42 (because they can be removed by opening the door 49 of the collection cassette 28).

[0072] Based on these considerations, in the second embodiment, the reject compartment plate 47 is rotated to the second position when the banknote unit 7 is pulled forward from the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, rejected banknotes are stored in the reject compartment 28A, and the collection cassette 28 is attached to the banknote unit 7.

[0073] Specifically, the control unit 29 of the banknote unit 7, based on the output results of sensors 30, 31, and 48, determines that the banknote unit 7 has been pulled forward from the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, that the collection cassette 28 is attached to the banknote unit 7, and that banknotes (i.e., rejected banknotes) are stored in the reject compartment 28A, and then rotates the reject compartment plate 47 to the second position (i.e., rotates it in the direction that expands the reject compartment 28A) and stops it. The operation of the reject compartment plate 47 is as described above.

[0074] [2-2. Summary and Effects] As explained above, in the second embodiment, the control unit 29 of the banknote unit 7, in a situation where there is a high probability that a rejected banknote will be removed from the banknote dispensing opening 42, detects that the device body 20 has been pulled out from the housing 2 by the sensor 30 acting as a pull-out detection unit, detects that the collection cassette 28 has been attached to the device body 20 of the banknote unit 7 by the sensor 31 acting as an attachment detection unit, and also detects that there is a banknote stored in the reject compartment 28A by the sensor 48 acting as a banknote presence detection unit, rotates the reject compartment plate 47 to the second position to make it easier to remove from the banknote dispensing opening 42.

[0075] Thus, in the second embodiment, the operation of rotating the reject compartment plate 47 to a second position where rejected banknotes can be easily removed is performed under more restrictive conditions than in the first embodiment, thereby further reducing the power consumption of the plate drive unit 101 and further reducing the heat generated by the plate drive unit 101.

[0076] [3. Other Embodiments] [3-1. Other Embodiments 1] In the first embodiment described above, the reject compartment plate 47 was configured to rotate around the pivot axis 47S at the rear end, but the system is not limited to this, and the reject compartment plate 47 may be configured to move vertically. In this case, for example, the reject compartment plate 47 may be configured to move vertically in a nearly horizontal position, and the banknote dispensing opening 42 may also be made into a nearly horizontal rectangular shape with its lower edge 42B.

[0077] When storing banknotes in the collection compartment 28B, the reject compartment plate 47 is moved to a first position (a position above the internal transport path 45), and when storing banknotes in the reject compartment 28A, it is moved to a second position (a position below the internal transport path 45). It is assumed that the reject compartment plate 47 in the second position is approximately equal in height to the lower edge 42B of the banknote outlet 42.

[0078] Furthermore, when removing banknotes from the banknote dispensing slot 42, the reject compartment plate 47 is moved to the second position. At this time, the area Ar1 within the entire banknote dispensing slot 42 where a hand is actually inserted to remove rejected banknotes (the area enclosed by the reject compartment plate 47 and the top and left and right edges of the banknote dispensing slot 42) becomes approximately the same size as the banknote dispensing slot 42, making it easier to remove banknotes from the reject compartment 28A.

[0079] In this embodiment, the reject compartment plate 47 is configured to be movable vertically while remaining horizontal, but it may be tilted instead of horizontal. Similarly, the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42 may also be tilted instead of horizontal. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0080] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, when the reject compartment plate 47 is in the second position, it is assumed that the reject compartment plate 47 is parallel to the lower edge 42B of the banknote dispensing opening 42 and that their vertical positions are approximately equal. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the reject compartment plate 47 and the lower edge 42B may not be parallel, or their vertical positions may be misaligned.

[0081] [3-2. Other Embodiments 2] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the banknote dispensing opening 42 was a rectangular opening that was wider vertically at the front end than at the rear end. However, the shape of the banknote dispensing opening 42 is not limited to this, and it may be rectangular, elliptical, or racetrack-shaped, as long as it is an opening from which banknotes can be removed. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0082] [3-3. Other Embodiments 3] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a solenoid was used as the plate drive unit 101 for rotating (moving) the reject compartment plate 47. However, the invention is not limited to this, and any plate drive unit other than a solenoid, such as a motor, may be used as long as it can rotate (move) the reject compartment plate 47. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0083] [3-4. Other Embodiments 4] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the reject compartment plate 47 is rotated from the second position to the first position during the mechanical initial operation performed when the banknote unit 7, which has been pulled out forward, is stored in the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the control unit 29 may also rotate the reject compartment plate 47 from the second position to the first position separately from the mechanical initial operation when it determines from the output result of the sensor 30 that the banknote unit 7, which has been pulled out forward, has been stored in the housing 2 of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1.

[0084] [3-5. Other Embodiments 5] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the present invention was applied to a collection cassette 28 that is detachable from the banknote unit 7. However, the invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a storage unit other than the collection cassette 28, as long as it has two storage spaces and a partition separating the two storage spaces. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0085] [3-6. Other Embodiments 6] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the present invention was applied to a cash deposit / withdrawal machine 1, which is a self-service cashier that dispenses change. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to other banknote processing devices such as cashiers who operate the machines, semi-self-service cashiers where customers only perform the payment, and automated teller cash deposit / withdrawal machines (window terminals) used in banks. Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the present invention was applied to a cash deposit / withdrawal machine 1, which is a banknote processing device that handles banknotes. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to coin processing devices that handle coins. In this case as well, the coin processing device should be equipped with a storage compartment that has two storage spaces for storing coins and a partition separating the two storage spaces. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0086] [3-7. Other Embodiments 7] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the present invention was applied to a cash deposit and withdrawal machine 1 having a banknote unit 7 and a coin unit 10. However, the invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to a cash deposit and withdrawal machine having only a banknote unit 7, or to a banknote processing device equipped with a banknote unit having only one of either a deposit function or a withdrawal function. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0087] [3-8. Other Embodiments 8] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and other embodiments. That is, the scope of the present invention also extends to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the embodiments described above and other embodiments. [Industrial applicability]

[0088] This invention can be widely used in banknote processing devices such as self-checkout machines. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1... Deposit / withdrawal machine, 2... Housing, 4... Change control unit, 5... Banknote insertion slot, 6... Banknote discharge slot, 7... Banknote unit, 12... Banknote unit storage section, 13... Slide guide, 20... Main unit, 21... Slide rail, 22... Banknote deposit section, 23... Banknote dispensing section, 24... Banknote recognition section, 28... Collection cassette, 28A... Reject compartment, 28B... Collection compartment, 29... Control unit, 30, 31, 48... Sensors, 40... Cassette housing, 41... Receiving slot, 42... Banknote removal opening, 43... Door, 44... Banknote storage space, 45... Internal transport path, 47... Reject compartment plate, 49... Door, 100... State detection unit, 101... Plate drive unit, Ar1... Range, R... Banknote transport path.

Claims

1. The casing and The device body is provided so as to be removable from the aforementioned housing, A banknote storage compartment for storing banknotes is detachably attached to the main body of the aforementioned device, A pull-out detection unit that detects when the main body of the device is pulled out from the housing, Equipped with, The aforementioned banknote storage compartment is A space for storing banknotes, The aforementioned banknote storage space is divided into a first storage space and a second storage space, and the partition part is moved in a direction that expands and narrows the first storage space, thereby switching the destination of the banknotes to the first storage space or the second storage space. Equipped with, The aforementioned partition is, When the pull-out detection unit detects that the device body has been pulled out of the housing, the unit moves in a direction that expands the first storage space. A banknote processing device characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned banknote storage compartment has a storage compartment housing having the banknote storage space, A banknote dispensing opening connected to the first storage space is provided on one side of the storage cabinet housing. The banknote processing device according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned partition is, The device moves between a first position, where the storage location for banknotes is switched to the second storage space, and a second position, where the storage location for banknotes is switched to the first storage space, with the first storage space being widest when in the second position. When the device body is detected by the withdrawal detection unit to have been withdrawn from the housing, the device moves to the second position. The banknote processing device according to feature 2.

4. When the partition is in the second position, the size of the first storage space as viewed from the banknote dispensing side is at its largest. The banknote processing device according to feature 3.

5. An attachment detection unit that detects whether the banknote storage compartment is attached to the main body of the device, A banknote presence / absence detection unit that detects the presence or absence of banknotes stored in the first storage space, Furthermore, The aforementioned partition is, When the pull-out detection unit detects that the main body of the device has been pulled out of the housing, the mounting detection unit detects that the banknote storage compartment has been mounted on the main body of the device, and the banknote presence / absence detection unit detects that there are banknotes stored in the first storage space, the device moves to the second position. The banknote processing device according to feature 3 or 4.

6. The aforementioned partition is, When the withdrawal detection unit detects that the device body, which had been withdrawn from the housing, has been returned to the housing, the device moves from the second position to the first position. The banknote processing device according to feature 3 or 4.

7. A drive unit for moving the partition, A control unit that controls the drive unit and Equipped with, The partition is biased to the first position, The control unit energizes the drive unit to move the partition from the first position to the second position, and then stops energizing the drive unit to return the partition from the second position to the first position. The banknote processing device according to feature 3 or 4.

8. The aforementioned partition is, It is rotatably mounted around a pivot axis provided at one end, and rotates between the first position and the second position. The banknote processing device according to feature 3 or 4.

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