Coin processing device and currency handling device

Abstract

To provide a technique that can improve the convenience of a coin processor in which a non-recycling box and a recycling box can be attached to and detached from an attachment / detachment unit.SOLUTION: A coin processor includes: a deposit unit into which coins are fed; a determination unit that determines the denominations of coins fed into the deposit unit; a sorting and conveying unit for sorting and conveying the coins by each denomination based on determination results by the sorting and conveying unit; a plurality of coin storage boxes for storing the coins conveyed by the sorting and conveying unit according to the denominations; an attachment / detachment unit to which the plurality of coin storage boxes are detachably attached; and a withdrawal unit to which coins ejected from the plurality of coin storage boxes are withdrawn. The attachment / detachment unit can be attached to some of the plurality of coin storage boxes by being replaced with non-recycling boxes that store non-recycled coins which are coins of a predetermined denomination that are not withdrawn to the withdrawal unit among coins fed into the deposit unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin processing device and a currency handling device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various technologies related to coin processing devices are known. For example, there is known a coin processing device capable of changing the denomination of coins held by a denomination-specific holding and dispensing device that holds coins by denomination (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, there is known a coin depositing machine including an identification unit that identifies the denomination of coins inserted into the machine body, a sorting unit that sorts coins of a specific denomination, a temporary holding unit that temporarily holds coins of a specific denomination, and a storage unit that stores the temporarily held coins of a specific denomination based on a storage instruction (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0004] In such a coin depositing machine, it is assumed that the specific denomination may be any of a plurality of pre-specified denominations. Therefore, in such a coin depositing machine, the storage unit stores coins of a plurality of pre-specified denominations in a mixed manner.

[0005] Here, it is difficult to dispense coins of a desired denomination from a storage bin that stores coins of a plurality of denominations in a mixed manner. Therefore, a storage bin that stores coins of a plurality of denominations in a mixed manner corresponds to a non-reflow bin that does not dispense the stored coins. In such a coin depositing machine, the non-reflow bin can be mounted only at a dedicated mounting position in the detachable part of the coin depositing machine.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0007] However, in addition to the non-returnable coin compartment, a returnable coin compartment for dispensing the stored coins is also attached to the attachment / detachment section. In this case, where both a non-returnable coin compartment and a returnable coin compartment can be attached to the attachment / detachment section, if the non-returnable coin compartment can only be attached to a designated attachment position on the attachment / detachment section, it is conceivable that the convenience of the coin processing device having an attachment / detachment section will not be improved.

[0008] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a technology that can improve the convenience of a coin processing device having a non-recirculating chamber and a detachable part to which a recirculating chamber can be attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a coin processing device is provided comprising: a deposit section into which coins are inserted; a discrimination section for determining the denomination of the coins inserted into the deposit section; a sorting and conveying section for sorting and conveying the coins by denomination based on the discrimination result by the discrimination section; a plurality of coin storage compartments for storing the coins conveyed by the sorting and conveying section by denomination; a detachable section to which the plurality of coin storage compartments are detachably attached; and a dispensing section for dispensing coins dispensed from the plurality of coin storage compartments, wherein the detachable section can replace some of the plurality of coin storage compartments with non-recirculating compartments for storing non-recirculating coins, which are coins of a predetermined denomination that are not dispensed to the dispensing section from the coins inserted into the deposit section.

[0010] The coin processing device further comprises a housing capable of housing the detachable part in an internal space, the detachable part being able to be stored in the space or pulled out from the space through an opening in the housing, and the non-recirculating chamber may be installed in place of a coin storage chamber located closer to the opening than the innermost coin storage chamber located furthest from the opening when the detachable part is housed inside the housing.

[0011] The sorting and conveying unit is equipped with a plurality of denomination-specific discharge ports provided along the conveying path of the coins, and stores the coins by denomination into the plurality of coin storage units or the non-recirculating unit via the plurality of denomination-specific discharge ports, and the non-recirculating unit may store the coins via any of the plurality of denomination-specific discharge ports other than the denomination-specific discharge port located at the uppermost position in the conveying direction of the coins in the sorting and conveying unit.

[0012] The attachment / detachment unit may be equipped with a first sensor for detecting when the non-recirculating chamber is attached at each position where the non-recirculating chamber can be attached, and the sorting and conveying unit may convey the predetermined denominations of coins inserted into the deposit unit to be stored in the non-recirculating chamber via denomination-specific discharge ports corresponding to the positions where the non-recirculating chamber is detected by the first sensor.

[0013] Each of the aforementioned coin storage compartments and the non-recirculating compartment has a tank section that forms a storage space for storing coins, and the tank sections of the coin storage compartments and the tank sections of the non-recirculating compartments may be made of different colors.

[0014] The coin storage compartment may have a dispensing section at the bottom of the storage space for dispensing the coins to the outside of the storage space, and the non-recirculating compartment may have a lid at the bottom of the storage space for accumulating the coins within the storage space.

[0015] The sorting and conveying unit is equipped with an eject port for discharging coins that have been determined by the discrimination unit to be not genuine coins, and the coin processing device is equipped with a second sensor for detecting objects located at predetermined positions in the plurality of coin storage units or the non-recirculating unit, and a control unit for determining, based on the detection result of the second sensor, whether or not the plurality of coin storage units or the non-recirculating unit is full and can no longer store any more coins, and the control unit may, after determining that it is full, control the sorting and conveying unit so that if there are any coins that have been determined by the discrimination unit to be of a predetermined denomination, the coins are discharged from the eject port.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention comprises: a deposit section into which coins are inserted; a discrimination section for determining the denomination of the coins inserted into the deposit section; a sorting and transporting section for sorting and transporting the coins by denomination based on the discrimination result by the discrimination section; a plurality of coin storage compartments for storing the coins transported by the sorting and transporting section by denomination; a detachable section to which the plurality of coin storage compartments are detachably attached; and a dispensing section from which coins dispensed from the plurality of coin storage compartments are dispensed, wherein the detachable section comprises the plurality of A currency handling device is provided, comprising: a coin processing device that can replace some of the coin storage compartments with non-refundable coins, which are coins of a predetermined denomination that are deposited into the deposit compartment but not dispensed into the dispensing compartment; a banknote processing device that includes a banknote input compartment into which banknotes are inserted; a banknote identification compartment that identifies whether the banknotes inserted into the banknote input compartment are normal banknotes and, if the banknotes are normal banknotes, determines the denomination of the banknotes; and a banknote storage compartment that stores the banknotes by denomination. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, the present invention provides a technology that can improve the convenience of a coin processing device having a non-recirculating chamber and a detachable part to which a recirculating chamber can be attached. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the external configuration of a deposit / withdrawal machine 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a deposit / withdrawal machine 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the coin processing device 1A according to the first embodiment, and is a view of the coin processing device from the front. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the coin processing device 1A according to the first embodiment, and is a view of the coin processing device from the right side. [Figure 5]It is a schematic plan view showing the coin payout unit 4, the coin discrimination unit 5, and the sorting and conveying unit 6 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a view taken along the line C-C of FIG. 5. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view showing the detachable unit 13 to which the coin type hoppers 12a to 12f are attached in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the coin type hopper 12a according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a view taken along the line D-D of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the non-reflow storage 44 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a view taken along the line E-E of FIG. 12. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the coin processing device 1A after the non-reflow storage 44 is attached in the first embodiment, and is a view of the coin processing device 1A seen from the right side. [Figure 15] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the coin processing device 1B after the non-reflow storage 44 is attached in the second embodiment, and is a view of the coin processing device 1B seen from the right side.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0020] <0. Configuration of the Deposit and Withdrawal Machine> First, a configuration example of the deposit and withdrawal machine according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0021] Figure 1 shows an example of the external configuration of a cash deposit / withdrawal machine 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the cash deposit / withdrawal machine 200 comprises a card reader unit 131, an operation display unit 133, a control unit 150, a coin processing unit 1 for processing coins, and a banknote processing unit 100 for processing banknotes. The coin processing unit 1 is equipped with a coin slot 3, and the banknote processing unit 100 is equipped with a banknote slot 101. Each of these components will be described in detail later.

[0022] Furthermore, the cash deposit and withdrawal machine 200 is a device that handles the deposit and withdrawal of cash, and may also be classified as a cash management device for managing cash, a cash processing device for processing cash, a cash transaction device for conducting transactions using cash, or a currency handling device for handling currency. An example of currency is coins. Another example of currency is banknotes.

[0023] Here, we assume that the cash deposit / withdrawal machine 200 is installed in the back room of a store such as a retail store or supermarket. In such a case, before the start of business, the store clerk withdraws the change reserve from the cash deposit / withdrawal machine 200 to take to the cash register on the sales floor. The change reserve is cash set aside to be used as change for transactions in the store.

[0024] On the other hand, after closing time, the store clerk deposits the remaining change reserve and sales proceeds into the cash deposit / withdrawal machine 200. The cash deposit / withdrawal machine 200 is not limited to being installed in the back room of the store. For example, the cash deposit / withdrawal machine 200 may be installed in a collection and delivery center of a delivery service provider or the like.

[0025] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cash deposit and withdrawal machine 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the cash deposit and withdrawal machine 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a coin processing unit 1, a banknote processing unit 100, a card reader unit 131, an operation display unit 133, a control unit 150, and a storage unit 160.

[0026] The coin processing device 1 includes a coin slot 3, a coin identification unit 5, a coin rejection box 9, a temporary coin holding unit 10, a coin return box 11, a coin storage unit 12, a coin dispensing box 15, and a coin collection box 16. The banknote processing device 100 includes a banknote slot 101, a banknote identification unit 104, a temporary banknote holding unit 106, a 10,000 yen bill return box 107, a 5,000 yen bill return box 109, a 1,000 yen bill return box 111, a banknote collection box 113, and a banknote rejection box 115.

[0027] The banknote slot 101 is the slot through which banknotes to be deposited into the deposit / withdrawal machine 200 are inserted. The banknote slot 101 also serves as the banknote withdrawal slot. More specifically, banknotes returned due to the cancellation of the remaining balance of the change reserve and the deposit of sales proceeds (hereinafter also simply referred to as "sales deposits"), withdrawn banknotes, and banknotes rejected by the banknote authentication unit 104 as being abnormal are withdrawn from the banknote slot 101.

[0028] The banknote authentication unit 104 uses various sensors to determine whether banknotes inserted into the banknote slot 101 are valid banknotes. If the banknotes are valid, it identifies the denomination of the banknotes and counts the number of banknotes of each denomination. The temporary banknote holding unit 106 temporarily stores banknotes when sales are deposited, during verification, and when sales proceeds are collected. Verification is the process of totaling the balance inside the deposit / withdrawal machine 200.

[0029] The 10,000 yen return vending machine 107, the 5,000 yen return vending machine 109, and the 1,000 yen return vending machine 111 are cash storage units that store 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and 1,000 yen banknotes, respectively. Hereafter, these return vending machines will be collectively referred to as the "banknote storage unit 112." Specifically, loose banknotes are stored in the banknote storage unit 112 as change reserves. In addition, banknotes that have been inserted into the banknote slot 101 as sales revenue and authenticated as normal by the banknote authentication unit 104 are stored in the banknote storage unit 112, sorted by denomination. Furthermore, when change is to be dispensed, banknotes are dispensed from the banknote storage unit 112.

[0030] The banknote collection box 113 is primarily used as a recirculation box for collecting sales proceeds. Specifically, when sales proceeds are collected, banknotes moved from the banknote storage section 112 are stored in the banknote collection box 113 as sales proceeds.

[0031] The banknote rejection storage unit 115 collects banknotes that have been identified as not being valid by the banknote authentication unit 104, i.e., rejected banknotes. Specifically, the banknote rejection storage unit 115 collects banknotes rejected by the banknote authentication unit 104 during the process of transporting banknotes from the temporary banknote holding unit 106 to the banknote storage unit 112 when sales proceeds are deposited, banknotes rejected by the banknote authentication unit 104 during the process of dispensing change from the banknote storage unit 112, and banknotes rejected by the banknote authentication unit 104 during the process of transporting banknotes from the banknote storage unit 112 to the banknote collection storage unit 113 when sales proceeds are collected.

[0032] The card reader unit 131 reads the information stored on a card (for example, an ID card or a retrieval card) that is in contact with or in close proximity to it.

[0033] For example, when a card is held over the card reader unit 131 by an operator, the card reader unit 131 reads the information written on the ID card or retrieval card, etc. Examples of information written on the ID card or retrieval card, etc. include information to identify the operator using the card and information indicating the types of transactions that are permitted. If the information read from the card reader unit 131 matches information that has been registered in advance, the control unit 150 permits the operator to use the deposit / withdrawal machine 200.

[0034] In addition, the deposit / withdrawal machine 200 may have, in addition to or instead of the card reader unit 131, a fingerprint recognition unit for performing fingerprint recognition, or a PIN input unit for accepting the input of a PIN.

[0035] The operation display unit 133 has the function of an operation unit that detects operations performed by the operator and the function of a display unit that displays various screens. The display unit function can be realized by, for example, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display device, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device. The operation unit function can be realized by, for example, a touch panel. Note that the display unit and the operation unit may be configured separately.

[0036] The control unit 150 consists of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which is an arithmetic processing unit; ROM (Read Only Memory) which stores programs and calculation parameters used by the CPU; RAM (Random Access Memory) which temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU and parameters that change as appropriate during its execution.

[0037] The control unit 150 controls the overall operation of the cash deposit and withdrawal machine 200. For example, the control unit 150 functions as a management unit that stores the number of bills of each denomination stored in the banknote storage unit 112 and the coin storage unit 12 in the storage unit 160. Once authentication by the operator using an ID card or collection card is complete, the control unit 150 displays a menu screen on the operation display unit 133 for the operator to select a desired process, and controls the execution of the process selected by the operator on the menu screen. Authentication using an ID card or collection card may be performed in any manner.

[0038] For example, the store clerk causes the control unit 150 to perform authentication by touching the ID card with the card reader unit 131. For example, the control unit 150 determines that authentication is successful if the store clerk's identification information recorded on the ID card matches the store clerk's identification information previously stored in the storage unit 160, and allows the store clerk to log in to the deposit / withdrawal machine 200. Alternatively, authentication may be performed based on information entered by the store clerk using the keypad instead of the store clerk's identification information recorded on the ID card.

[0039] When a store employee successfully logs into the deposit / withdrawal machine 200, the control unit 150 displays a menu screen on the operation display unit 133 for the employee to select a desired process. The control unit 150 then executes the process selected by the employee on the menu screen. Specifically, examples of processes that the employee can select include sales deposit and change dispensing. In this case, the menu screen includes sales deposit buttons, change dispensing buttons, etc. If the sales deposit button is pressed by the employee, the control unit 150 executes the sales deposit, and if the change dispensing button is pressed by the employee, it executes the change dispensing.

[0040] Furthermore, for example, the security officer (collector) causes the control unit 150 to perform authentication by bringing the collection card into contact with the card reader unit 131. For example, the control unit 150 determines that authentication is successful when the security officer's identification information recorded on the collection card matches the security officer's identification information previously stored in the storage unit 160, and enables the security officer to log in to the deposit / withdrawal machine 200. Alternatively, authentication may be performed based on information entered by the security officer via the keypad instead of the security officer's identification information recorded on the collection card.

[0041] When a security officer successfully logs into the deposit / withdrawal machine 200, the control unit 150 displays a menu screen on the operation display unit 133 for the security officer to select a desired process. The control unit 150 then executes the process selected by the security officer on the menu screen. Specifically, examples of processes that the security officer can select include verification and sales revenue collection. In this case, the menu screen includes buttons such as a collection button and a verification button. If the security officer presses the collection button, the control unit 150 executes the sales revenue collection process, and if the security officer presses the verification button, it executes the verification process.

[0042] The storage unit 160 is composed of memory that stores programs and data used by the control unit 150. For example, the storage unit 160 may be composed of memory such as a hard disk drive or flash memory.

[0043] Next, the configuration of the coin processing device 1 will be described. Specifically, the coin slot 3, coin identification unit 5, coin rejection box 9, coin temporary holding unit 10, coin return box 11, coin storage unit 12, coin dispensing box 15, coin collection unit 16, and other components of the coin processing device 1 will be described in detail in the following embodiments.

[0044] <1. First Embodiment> First, let me describe the first embodiment.

[0045] (1-1. Configuration of coin processing equipment) First, the configuration of the coin processing device according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a coin processing device according to the first embodiment, and is a view of the coin processing device from the front. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a coin processing device according to the first embodiment, and is a view of the coin processing device from the right side.

[0047] As shown in Figure 3, the coin processing device 1A according to the first embodiment includes a coin receiving unit 2, a coin dispensing unit 4, a coin identification unit 5, a sorting and transporting unit 6, a coin rejection unit 9, a coin temporary holding unit 10, a coin return box 11, a coin storage unit 12, a temporary withdrawal holding unit 14, a coin withdrawal box 15, a coin collection unit 16, a control unit 17, and a storage unit 92.

[0048] (Coin receiving section 2) The coin receiving unit 2 receives the coins C inserted into the coin slot 3. The coin receiving unit 2 is located above and in front of the coin processing device 1A. The coin receiving unit 2 has a coin slot 3 into which the coins C are inserted. The coin slot 3 functions as a deposit slot into which the coins C are inserted and is wide open to facilitate the insertion of coins in a single batch. The coins inserted into the coin slot 3 fall into the coin dispensing unit 4.

[0049] (Coin dispensing section 4) The coin dispensing unit 4 is located below the coin receiving unit 2 and dispenses coins one by one as they fall from the coin receiving unit 2. Inside the coin dispensing unit 4, for example, a rotating disc (not shown) is provided. The coins inside the coin dispensing unit 4 are moved by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating disc and dispensed one by one to the coin identification unit 5.

[0050] (Coin Identification Department 5) The coin identification unit 5 functions as a discrimination unit that determines the authenticity and denomination of coins dispensed from the coin dispensing unit 4. The coin identification unit 5 has a sensor that recognizes coins and determines the authenticity and denomination of coins based on the characteristics of the coins detected by the sensor. The coin identification unit 5 then transports the coins whose authenticity and denomination have been determined to the sorting and transport unit 6.

[0051] (Detailed configuration of coin dispensing unit 4 and coin identification unit 5) The detailed configuration of the coin dispensing unit 4 and coin identification unit 5 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a schematic plan view showing the coin dispensing unit 4, coin identification unit 5, and sorting and transport unit 6 according to the first embodiment. Figure 6 is a view taken along arrow AA in Figure 5.

[0052] The coin dispensing unit 4 receives the coins that have been inserted all at once and dispenses them one by one to the coin identification unit 5. As shown in Figure 6, the coin dispensing unit 4 has a storage unit 220, a rotating disc 230, and a disc drive unit 240.

[0053] The storage section 220 is the part that stores coins that have fallen from the coin receiving section 2. A rotating disc 230 is provided inside the storage section 220 (storage space), and the inner circumferential surface of the storage section 220 is formed in a shape that follows the outer circumference of the rotating disc 230 so that the rotating disc 230 can rotate. A passage opening 222 is provided on the side of the storage section 220 for directing coins toward the coin identification section 5. The width and height of the passage opening 222 are formed so that coins can pass through one at a time.

[0054] The rotating disc 230 is a circular component located within the storage section 220, and its rotation guides coins to the coin identification section 5. The rotating disc 230 is located directly below the coin receiving section 2, and coins from the coin receiving section 2 fall onto the rotating disc 230. The rotating disc 230 rotates in a predetermined direction, receiving rotational driving force from the disc drive unit 240. Due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating disc 230, the coins on the rotating disc 230 move toward the side of the storage section 220 (the outer circumference of the rotating disc 230) and pass through the passage opening 222.

[0055] The disc drive unit 240 is a drive unit that rotates the rotating disc 230 in a predetermined rotational direction. The disc drive unit 240 has a disc motor 242 and a gear train 244. The disc motor 242 transmits rotational driving force via the gear train 244 and rotates the rotating shaft 232 attached to the rotating disc 230. As a result, the rotating disc 230 also rotates in the same direction as the rotational direction of the rotating shaft 232.

[0056] The coin identification unit 5 recognizes the coins dispensed from the coin dispensing unit 4. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the coin identification unit 5 includes a transport path 310, a dispensing roller 320, a transport belt 330, and a recognition sensor 340.

[0057] The transport path 310 is located between the coin dispensing section 4 and the sorting transport section 6, and is a passage through which coins are transported. The transport path 310 is, for example, a plate-shaped transport plate and has a transport surface for transporting coins.

[0058] The feed rollers 320 are a pair of rollers that feed the coins that have passed through the passage opening 222 of the coin dispensing unit 4 toward the conveyor belt 330. The feed rollers 320 receive the driving force from the feed drive unit 322 and feed out the coins one by one while gripping them.

[0059] The conveyor belt 330 conveys coins by rotating while the coins, which have been fed out by the feed roller 320, are sandwiched between the conveyor belt and the conveyor surface of the conveyor path 310. The conveyor belt 330 is stretched by a pair of pulleys 332 and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pulleys 332. The pulleys 332 rotate by receiving the driving force from the belt drive unit 334.

[0060] The recognition sensor 340 recognizes the authenticity and denomination of coins being transported by the conveyor belt 330. Specifically, the recognition sensor 340 determines the authenticity of a coin by identifying its diameter, material, thickness, and whether or not there is a hole in the center of the coin. The recognition sensor 340 is, for example, a line sensor or a magnetic sensor, and can also identify foreign objects such as dirt in addition to the denomination of the coin.

[0061] (Sorting and conveying section 6) The sorting and conveying unit 6 sorts and conveys coins by denomination based on the identification results from the coin identification unit 5. As shown in Figure 4, the sorting and conveying unit 6 has a reject port 7 and denomination-specific discharge ports 8a to 8f. Coins that are determined not to be genuine by the coin identification unit 5 are discharged from the reject port 7. On the other hand, coins that are determined to be genuine by the coin identification unit 5 are discharged from the denomination-specific discharge port 8a to 8f that corresponds to the denomination of the coin.

[0062] More specifically, the coin-separated outlets 8a to 8f are provided with sorting gates 450a to 450f (Figure 8), which are opening and closing members that can move between an open position that opens the coin-separated outlet and a closed position that closes the coin-separated outlet. Then, according to the control of the control unit 17, the sorting gates provided at the coin-separated outlets corresponding to the denomination of coins move to the open position, and the coins are discharged from the coin-separated outlets corresponding to the denomination of coins.

[0063] (Detailed configuration of sorting and conveying unit 6) The detailed configuration of the sorting and conveying unit 6 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. Figure 7 is a view taken along the arrow BB in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a view taken along the arrow CC in Figure 5.

[0064] The sorting and conveying unit 6 sorts and discharges coins while conveying them, based on the recognition results from the coin identification unit 5. As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the sorting and conveying unit 6 is inclined relative to the horizontally arranged coin dispensing unit 4 and coin identification unit 5. This suppresses the horizontal width of the sorting and conveying unit 6. However, the arrangement of the sorting and conveying unit 6 is not limited to this; for example, the sorting and conveying unit 6 may be arranged horizontally, similar to the coin identification unit 5.

[0065] The sorting and conveying unit 6 includes a sorting housing 410, a conveying belt 420, metal-type discharge ports 8a to 8f, and a reject port 7.

[0066] The sorting housing 410 is the enclosure of the sorting and conveying unit 6. The sorting housing 410 has a conveying path for conveying coins. The conveying path is formed by cutting a concave notch in the surface of the sorting housing 410. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, an annular conveying path 411 that conveys coins in a ring shape and a linear conveying path 412 that conveys coins in a straight line are formed as the conveying path.

[0067] The annular transport path 411 is the path through which coins are transported from the coin authentication unit 5. The annular transport path 411 is equipped with an input detection sensor 415 for detecting coins that have been brought in from the coin authentication unit 5. This allows the input detection sensor 415 to detect whether coins have actually been transferred from the transport path 310 to the annular transport path 411.

[0068] The straight transport path 412 is located downstream of the annular transport path 411 in the transport direction and is the path through which coins are transported from the annular transport path 411. In this embodiment, the straight transport path 412 is configured to discharge coins by denomination.

[0069] The conveyor belt 420 is installed along the conveying direction on the annular conveying path 411 and the straight conveying path 412, and has the function of conveying coins by rotating. The conveyor belt 420 is wrapped around a drive pulley 431 installed on the annular conveying path 411 and a driven pulley 432 installed on the straight conveying path 412, and circulates between the drive pulley 431 and the driven pulley 432.

[0070] The drive pulley 431 is fixed to the rotating shaft 433. The rotating shaft 433 rotates by receiving driving force from the drive motor 434 via the belt 435. The drive pulley 431 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating shaft 433, causing the conveyor belt 420 to rotate. Additionally, an idler pulley 436 is provided on the straight conveyor path 412 to restrict the direction of rotation of the conveyor belt 420.

[0071] The drive pulley 431 has slits 437 (five in Figure 7) formed therein for controlling its rotation. A rotation detection sensor 438 is provided on the slits 437 of the drive pulley 431 to detect the rotation of the drive pulley 431. Based on the detection results of the rotation detection sensor 438, the rotation of the drive pulley 431 is controlled.

[0072] Multiple projection pins 422 are fixed to the conveyor belt 420, protruding toward the annular conveying path 411 and the straight conveying path 412. The multiple projection pins 422 are spaced apart so that one coin can be positioned between them. As the conveyor belt 420 rotates, the projection pins 422 push and convey the coins on the annular conveying path 411 and the straight conveying path 412. The annular conveying path 411 and the straight conveying path 412 have recesses (not shown) to prevent interference with the rotating projection pins 422.

[0073] The coin denomination outlets 8a to 8f are formed on the conveying surface of the straight conveying path 412. The coin denomination outlets 8a to 8f are outlets that discharge coins conveyed by the conveying belt 420 according to their denomination (for example, genuine coins of 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen). The six coin denomination outlets 8a to 8f are formed at equal intervals.

[0074] The coin-type outlets 8a to 8f discharge coins into chutes 96a to 96f, which are examples of duct sections located below, as shown in Figure 8. For example, coin-type outlet 8a discharges coins of the corresponding denomination into chute 96a.

[0075] As shown in Figure 8, sorting gates 450a to 450f are provided at the coin denomination outlets 8a to 8f. Since the configurations of sorting gates 450a to 450f are the same, the configuration of sorting gate 450a provided at coin denomination outlet 8a will be described here. Sorting gate 450a moves between a closed position that blocks the coin denomination outlet 8a and an open position that opens the coin denomination outlet 8a to allow coins to be discharged into the chute 96a.

[0076] Next to the coin-discharge ports 8a to 8f for each denomination, as shown in Figure 7, are receptacle areas 445a to 445f, which are examples of adjacent areas. Receptacle areas 445a to 445f are connected to chutes 96a to 96f located directly below them. Therefore, for example, coins discharged into receptacle area 445a will fall into chute 96a located directly below.

[0077] Furthermore, coin detection sensors 448a to 448f are provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of each coin-type discharge port 8a to 8f, respectively, to detect coins. As a result, the coin detection sensors 448a to 448f can detect whether or not a coin has actually been discharged from the coin-type discharge port corresponding to the coin denomination among the coin-type discharge ports 8a to 8f.

[0078] The reject port 7 is formed on the transport surface of the annular transport path 411. The reject port 7 is an outlet for ejecting rejected coins (which may also include foreign objects such as garbage) that have been identified as counterfeit by the coin identification unit 5. This prevents rejected coins from being mistakenly ejected from the denomination-specific outlets 8a to 8f.

[0079] Furthermore, a reject detection sensor 468 is provided downstream of the reject port 7 in the transport direction to detect rejected coins. This allows the reject detection sensor 468 to detect whether or not a rejected coin has actually been ejected from the reject port 7.

[0080] Below the reject opening 7, as shown in Figure 7, a reject transport section 462 is formed to transport rejected coins that have fallen from the reject opening 7 to the coin reject storage 9 (Figure 3). The reject transport section 462 has a transport belt 463 for transporting rejected coins. The transport belt 463 rotates due to a driving force transmitted from a drive motor 464 via a gear 465. The reject transport section 462 also has a wall 466 formed along the transport belt 463, which prevents rejected coins from flying out.

[0081] Furthermore, the reject port 7 is also provided with a sorting gate (not shown) similar to sorting gates 450a to 450f.

[0082] (Coin rejection box 9) The coin reject compartment 9 stores the coins ejected from the reject opening 7. Below the reject opening 7, a reject chute is located along the route of arrow R shown in Figure 4, which guides the coins that have passed through the reject opening 7 to the coin reject compartment 9. The coin reject compartment 9 also has an openable and closable door 94 on the front of the coin processing device 1A. When the door 94 is open, the operator can pull out the coin reject compartment 9 from the device.

[0083] (Coin temporary holding section 10) The coin temporary holding section 10 temporarily stores coins discharged from the coin-specific discharge ports 8a to 8f, sorted by denomination. Below the coin-specific discharge ports 8a to 8f, there are chutes 96a to 96f that guide the coins discharged from the coin-specific discharge ports 8a to 8f to the coin temporary holding section 10. The coin temporary holding section 10 also includes holding sections 10a to 10f. Holding sections 10a to 10f store coins guided from their corresponding chutes 96a to 96f. For example, chute 96a guides coins discharged from the coin-specific discharge port 8a to the holding section 10a of the coin temporary holding section 10 located below it.

[0084] Furthermore, the coin temporary holding unit 10 can move in the direction indicated by arrow H in Figure 3 (i.e., the direction towards the coin return box 11) or in the direction indicated by arrow S (i.e., the direction towards the coin storage unit 12) according to the control of the control unit 17. For example, buttons corresponding to the coin return box 11 or the coin storage unit 12 are displayed by the operation display unit 133 according to the control of the control unit 150.

[0085] When the operator selects the button corresponding to the coin return box 11, the control unit 150 notifies the control unit 17 that the button corresponding to the coin return box 11 has been selected. Then, in accordance with the control of the control unit 17, the coin temporary holding unit 10 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow H.

[0086] On the other hand, if the operator selects the button corresponding to the coin storage unit 12, the control unit 150 notifies the control unit 17 that the button corresponding to the coin storage unit 12 has been selected, and the coin temporary holding unit 10 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow S according to the control by the control unit 17.

[0087] (Coin return box 11) The coin return box 11 collects coins that fall from the temporary coin holding section 10 when the temporary coin holding section 10 moves in the direction indicated by arrow H. The coin return box 11 can be pulled out of the coin processing device 1A from the front by the operator.

[0088] (Coin storage compartment 12) The coin storage section 12 stores coins that fall from the temporary coin holding section 10, sorted by denomination, when the temporary coin holding section 10 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow S. The coin storage section 12 includes coin-denomination hoppers 12a to 12f arranged in a straight line to correspond to the coin-denomination holding sections 10a to 10f.

[0089] (Hopper 12a~12f by currency type) Each of the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f is a coin storage unit that stores coins according to their denomination and has the function of dispensing coins one at a time. The number of coin denomination hoppers is not limited to the six coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f. In other words, the number of coin denomination hoppers may be multiple and may be changed as appropriate according to the number of coin denominations handled by the coin processing device 1A.

[0090] The following explanation assumes that the coins stored in the coin-separated hopper 12a are 500 yen coins, those in the coin-separated hopper 12b are 100 yen coins, those in the coin-separated hopper 12c are 50 yen coins, those in the coin-separated hopper 12d are 10 yen coins, those in the coin-separated hopper 12e are 5 yen coins, and those in the coin-separated hopper 12f are 1 yen coins. However, the coin denominations stored in each of the coin-separated hoppers 12a to 12f are not limited to this example.

[0091] The hoppers 12a to 12f for each type of coin are detachably attached to the attachment section 13.

[0092] (Detachable part 13) Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the detachable section 13 to which the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f are attached in the first embodiment. Referring to Figure 9, the detachable section 13 is shown in a state where it has been pulled out from the housing 60 of the coin processing device 1A. The detachable section 13 is guided by a slide rail 191 and is movable in the insertion direction and the pulling direction. The housing 60 can house the detachable section 13 in its internal space. The dispensing opening 62 is an opening formed in the housing 60, and the detachable section 13 is pulled out from the internal space of the housing 60 in the pulling direction to the outside of the housing 60 through the dispensing opening 62. The detachable section 13 is also stored inside the housing 60 from the outside of the housing 60 through the dispensing opening 62.

[0093] When the operator removes the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f from the attachment / detachment section 13, they pull out the attachment / detachment section 13 in the pulling direction, and then move the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f in the removal direction shown in Figure 9. On the other hand, when the operator attaches the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f to the attachment / detachment section 13, they move the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f in the attachment direction, which is the opposite direction to the removal direction.

[0094] As shown in Figure 9, each of the metal type hoppers 12a to 12f is mounted in a predetermined mounting position among the six mounting positions in the attachment / detachment section 13.

[0095] (Organizing the issues) The coin hoppers 12a to 12f are for storing coins by denomination. However, the frequency of use of each coin hopper 12a to 12f is expected to vary depending on the type of business in which the coin deposit / withdrawal machine 200 is installed.

[0096] As an example, let's consider the case where the deposit / withdrawal machine 200 is introduced into the railway industry. In such a case, since the smallest unit of railway fares is often 10 yen, 5 yen coins and 1 yen coins are coins that are not used. On the other hand, 100 yen coins and 10 yen coins are coins that are used frequently. That is, the denomination hopper 12b for storing 100 yen coins and the denomination hopper 12d for storing 10 yen coins are used frequently, while the denomination hopper 12e for storing 5 yen coins and the denomination hopper 12f for storing 1 yen coins are used infrequently.

[0097] As another example, consider a scenario where the deposit / withdrawal machine 200 is introduced into the food and beverage industry, which sells multiple food and beverage items for 500 yen (fixed price). In such a case, 500 yen coins are a frequently used denomination. On the other hand, 5 yen coins and 1 yen coins are less frequently used denominations. That is, the denomination hoppers 12a for storing 500 yen coins and 12d for storing 10 yen coins are used frequently, while the denomination hoppers 12e for storing 5 yen coins and 12f for storing 1 yen coins are used infrequently.

[0098] Hoppers for frequently used coin denominations are prone to situations where they either run out of coins or become completely full. Therefore, there is a demand to increase the number of hoppers for frequently used coin denominations. To meet this demand, hoppers for less frequently used coin denominations are sometimes used in place of hoppers for frequently used coin denominations.

[0099] In such cases, it becomes necessary to use a storage unit that stores coins of multiple denominations that are used infrequently. However, it is difficult to withdraw a desired denomination of coins from a storage unit that stores multiple denominations of coins together. Therefore, a non-returnable storage unit, which does not withdraw the stored coins, is used as a storage unit that stores multiple denominations of coins together. In this case, the denominations of coins stored in the non-returnable storage unit are predetermined as specific denominations.

[0100] Generally, non-recirculating coin compartments are mounted in a dedicated mounting position on the attachment / detachment section, separate from the denomination hoppers, where only the non-recirculating coin compartment can be mounted. However, if both non-recirculating and recirculating coin compartments can be mounted on the attachment / detachment section, and the non-recirculating coin compartment can only be mounted in a dedicated mounting position on the attachment / detachment section, the convenience of the coin processing device having an attachment / detachment section may not be improved. Therefore, in the first embodiment, we propose a technology that can improve the convenience of a coin processing device having an attachment / detachment section on which both non-recirculating and recirculating coin compartments can be mounted.

[0101] The following explanation assumes that the most frequently used coin denomination is the 100 yen coin. Conversely, it assumes that the least frequently used coin denominations are the 5 yen coin and the 1 yen coin. However, the most frequently used coin denomination is not limited to the 100 yen coin, and the least frequently used coin denominations are not limited to the 5 yen coin and the 1 yen coin.

[0102] (Hopper 12a by currency type) Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of the hopper 12a for each type of coin according to the first embodiment. Figure 11 is a view from the arrow DD in Figure 10. Note that the configurations of each type of coin hopper 12b to 12f are the same as those of hopper 12a. Therefore, the configuration of hopper 12a will be described here, and a detailed explanation of the configurations of each type of coin hopper 12b to 12f will be omitted.

[0103] As shown in Figure 10, the coin sorting hopper 12a is divided into a tank section 20 and a lower section 22 located below the tank section 20. The coin sorting hopper 12a also includes a rotating disk 25, a drive unit 30, a transport guide 33, a gate 34, a transport unit 37, and a coin denomination discrimination unit 39. The coin sorting hopper 12a has a dispensing unit for dispensing coins to the outside of the storage space of the tank section 20, and the dispensing unit is provided in the lower section 22 of the tank section 20. For example, the dispensing unit may include a motor 31 and a rotating disk 25.

[0104] The tank section 20 stores the coins C discharged from the coin temporary holding section 10. The tank section 20 has a storage space 21. The storage space 21 is surrounded by side walls and stores the coins C. As shown in Figure 10, the tank section 20 has an opening 24 at the top through which the coins C discharged from the coin temporary holding section 10 pass.

[0105] A rotating disc 25 is provided in the lower part 22, and the inner circumferential surface of the lower part 22 is shaped to follow the outer circumference of the rotating disc 25 so that the rotating disc 25 can rotate. The lower part 22 has an angled shape to facilitate the dispensing of coins C.

[0106] The rotating disk 25 is a cylindrical component positioned within the tank section 20. The rotating disk 25 is positioned diagonally, intersecting the horizontal direction. The rotating disk 25 is supported by a rotatable shaft 26, and its rotation moves and separates the coins C contained in the tank section 20.

[0107] The rotating disk 25 has multiple cylindrical through holes 27 (four through holes 27 in the example shown in Figure 11) that correspond to the outer shape of the coin C. The coin C in the tank section 20 passes through the through holes 27. In addition, protrusions 28 are formed on the back surface of the rotating disk 25 and around the through holes 27, projecting toward the transport guide 33. The protrusions 28 support the coin C and transport the coin C as the rotating disk 25 rotates.

[0108] A gear portion 29 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating disk 25. The gear portion 29 meshes with the motor gear 32 of the drive unit 30 at a notch 23 formed on the side surface of the lower part 22. The motor gear 32 is fixed to the D-cut motor shaft of the motor 31. The motor 31 transmits rotational driving force to the rotating disk 25 via the meshed motor gear 32 and gear portion 29, causing the rotating disk 25 to rotate.

[0109] The transport guide 33 is located below the rotating disk 25, with a gap between it and the rotating disk 25 that allows for the transport of one coin C at a time. The transport guide 33 functions as a guide for the rotating disk 25 to transport the coin C. Since the transport guide 33 is also positioned at an angle, similar to the rotating disk 25, the transported coin C tends to slide towards the gate 34 on top of the transport guide 33 due to its own weight.

[0110] The gate 34 is an opening for dispensing the coins C, which have been conveyed by the rotating disk 25, one by one. As shown in Figure 11, a pivot bearing 35 and a feed roller 36 are provided at the downstream end of the gate 34 in the conveying direction.

[0111] The feed roller 36 is movable around a pivot point (not shown). The feed roller 36 is pulled toward the pivot bearing 35 by a spring (not shown). However, the distance between the feed roller 36 and the pivot bearing 35 is kept constant by a movement restricting part (not shown). As the feed roller 36 moves, the coin C that is caught between the pivot bearing 35 and the feed roller 36 is fed out.

[0112] The transport unit 37 transports the coins C dispensed from the gate 34 toward the temporary withdrawal holding unit 14 (Figure 3). The transport unit 37 includes a transport belt (not shown) for transporting the coins C and a transport path 38 through which the coins C are transported.

[0113] The coin denomination discrimination unit 39 determines whether the denomination of the coin actually dispensed from the coin denomination hopper 12a is different from the denomination of the coin that should be dispensed. As shown in Figure 11, the coin denomination discrimination unit 39 includes optical sensors 40, 41 and a magnetic sensor 42 that detect coins being transported along the transport path 38.

[0114] Optical sensor 40 is a hole detection sensor that detects the presence or absence of a hole in the coin, and optical sensor 41 is a width detection sensor that detects the width (diameter) of the coin. Magnetic sensor 42 is a sensor that detects the material of the coin, etc. The coin denomination discrimination unit 39 can determine whether the coin actually dispensed by the rotating disk 25 is different from the denomination of the coin that should be dispensed, based on the detection results of optical sensor 40, optical sensor 41, and magnetic sensor 42.

[0115] Furthermore, the magnetic sensor 42 also has the function of detecting whether or not a coin has been dispensed from the gate 34.

[0116] (Full detection sensor 18) The full detection sensor 18 is an example of a second sensor and is capable of detecting an object located at a predetermined position in the metal-type hoppers 12a to 12f attached to the attachment / detachment section 13. Here, the predetermined position is a position within the range in which the full detection sensor 18 can detect an object (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "detection range").

[0117] For example, if the full detection sensor 18 is an optical sensor, an object is detected by detecting when the light emitted by the optical sensor is blocked. In the example shown in Figure 4, the optical axis of the full detection sensor 18 extends in the depth direction of the coin processing device 1A. However, the direction of the optical axis of the full detection sensor 18 is not limited to the depth direction of the coin processing device 1A.

[0118] More specifically, optical axis holes 43 are provided in the side walls of each of the metal type hoppers 12a to 12f. The full detection sensor 18 is positioned so that its optical axis passes through these optical axis holes 43 when the metal type hoppers 12a to 12f are attached to the attachment / detachment section 13. Therefore, if an object is present within the detection range of the full detection sensor 18 inside at least one of the metal type hoppers 12a to 12f, that object will be detected by the full detection sensor 18 through the optical axis hole 43.

[0119] The full detection sensor 18 is an optical sensor primarily used to detect coins as an example of an object. When coins accumulate inside at least one of the coin-type hoppers 12a to 12f, and the light from the full detection sensor 18 is blocked by the piled-up coins up to the position where the optical axis hole 43 is located, it is detected that the coins have reached the position of the optical axis hole 43. The full detection sensor 18 is positioned so that its detection range is close to the aperture 24 in order to obtain a detection result used to determine whether or not the hopper is full of coins.

[0120] (Withdrawal temporary hold section 14) The temporary coin holding unit 14 has the function of temporarily accumulating coins dispensed from the coin hoppers 12a to 12f according to their denomination. The temporary coin holding unit 14 also functions as a destination switching unit, switching the destination of the accumulated coins according to the control unit 17. Specifically, the destinations of the coins are the coin dispensing box 15 or the coin collection box 16. The temporary coin holding unit 14 then transports the accumulated coins to the destination.

[0121] (Coin collection box 15) The coin dispensing box 15 functions as an example of a dispensing unit, and coins are dispensed into the coin dispensing box 15 from the temporary dispensing holding unit 14. The coin dispensing box 15 then stores the coins dispensed from the temporary dispensing holding unit 14. Specifically, when the destination of the coins is switched from the temporary dispensing holding unit 14 to the coin dispensing box 15, the coins accumulated in the temporary dispensing holding unit 14 are transported from the temporary dispensing holding unit 14 to the coin dispensing box 15. The coin dispensing box 15 is detachably attached to the main body of the device.

[0122] (Coin collection box 16) The coin collection unit 16 stores the coins to be collected. Specifically, when the destination of the coins is switched from the temporary withdrawal holding unit 14 to the coin collection unit 16, the coins accumulated in the temporary withdrawal holding unit 14 are transported from the temporary withdrawal holding unit 14 to the coin collection unit 16.

[0123] (Storage unit 92) The storage unit 92 is composed of memory that stores programs and data used by the control unit 17. For example, the storage unit 92 may be composed of memory such as a hard disk drive or flash memory.

[0124] (Control Unit 17) The control unit 17 controls the overall operation of the coin processing device 1A. For example, when processing coin deposits and withdrawals, the control unit 17 controls the operation of each component of the coin processing device 1A.

[0125] For example, deposit processing is a process performed by the coin processing device 1A when sales are received. Also, for example, withdrawal processing is a process performed by the coin processing device 1A when change reserves are withdrawn.

[0126] The control unit 17 controls a variety of operations. For example, the control unit 17 determines whether the coin hoppers 12a to 12f are full based on the detection results of the full detection sensor 18. If the control unit 17 determines that at least one of the coin hoppers 12a to 12f is full, it notifies the control unit 150 that the coin hoppers are full.

[0127] The control unit 150 displays a destination selection screen on the operation display unit 133 for selecting the destination for transporting coins. Once the operator selects a destination for transporting coins, the control unit 150 notifies the control unit 17 of the destination selected by the operator. The control unit 17 controls the transport of coins so that the coins are transported from the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f to the destination notified by the control unit 150.

[0128] Specifically, examples of destinations selectable by the operator include the coin collection box 16 and the coin dispensing box 15. In this case, the destination selection screen includes buttons such as a collection box button and a dispensing box button. When the operator presses the collection box button, the control unit 150 notifies the control unit 17 that the destination is the coin collection box 16, and when the operator presses the dispensing box button, it notifies the control unit 17 that the coin dispensing box 15 has been selected as the destination. In addition, for example, if the operator selects a transaction such as a dispensing transaction or a collection transaction, the control unit 17 may control the transport of coins to transport them to the destination corresponding to the selected transaction.

[0129] When the control unit 150 notifies the control unit 17 that the coin collection unit 16 has been selected as the destination, the control unit 17 controls the transport of coins so that the coins are transported from the coin sorting hoppers 12a to 12f to the coin collection unit 16. On the other hand, when the control unit 150 notifies the control unit 17 that the coin dispensing box 15 has been selected as the destination, the control unit 17 controls the transport of coins so that the coins are transported from the coin sorting hoppers 12a to 12f to the coin dispensing box 15.

[0130] For example, the control unit 17 controls the transport of coins to the destination for each of the coin-type hoppers 12a to 12f, such that the number of coins transported to the destination is the number of coins currently stored minus a preset number. However, if there is a coin-type hopper among the coin-type hoppers 12a to 12f that currently has a number of coins stored that is less than or equal to the preset number, the control unit 17 does not need to control the transport of coins from that coin-type hopper to ensure that coins are transported to the destination.

[0131] (Non-reflux storage 44) Figure 12 shows an example of the configuration of the non-recirculating chamber 44 according to the first embodiment. Figure 13 is a view along the EE arrow in Figure 12.

[0132] The tank section 20 of the non-recirculating chamber 44 forms a space for storing coins and is used to position the non-recirculating chamber 44 for mounting to the attachment section 13. Similarly, the tank sections 20 of the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f are also used to position the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f for mounting to the attachment section 13. As shown in Figure 12, the non-recirculating chamber 44 has an external shape that is almost the same as that of the coin denomination hopper 12a (Figure 10). Therefore, the non-recirculating chamber 44 is interchangeable with the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f in terms of mounting to the attachment section 13.

[0133] For example, as shown in Figure 4, when the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f are attached to the attachment / detachment unit 13, the non-recirculating chamber 44 can be attached to the attachment / detachment unit 13 in place of any of the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f. In other words, the operator can remove any denomination hopper from the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f and attach the non-recirculating chamber 44 in place of the removed denomination hopper. This improves the convenience of the coin processing device 1A.

[0134] As an example, consider a case where the denomination hopper 12f, which stores infrequently used 1-yen coins, is replaced with a non-recirculating chamber 44 that stores a mixture of 1-yen and 5-yen coins, and the denomination hopper 12e, which stores infrequently used 5-yen coins, is replaced with a denomination hopper for frequently used 100-yen coins, and these are then attached to the attachment / detachment section 13. In such a case, without changing the external shape of the device to provide a dedicated attachment position for the non-recirculating chamber 44, the storage capacity for frequently used 100-yen coins is increased, and it also becomes possible to accept deposits of infrequently used 1-yen and 5-yen coins.

[0135] Furthermore, since the hopper for each denomination can be arbitrarily selected and removed, it is possible to flexibly respond to differences in the frequency of use of each denomination depending on the type of business, etc., while increasing the storage capacity for frequently used coins. By increasing the storage capacity for frequently used coins, it becomes less likely that there will be a shortage of frequently used coins or that the hopper for frequently used coins will become full.

[0136] Furthermore, generally speaking, if a coin of a denomination that cannot be stored in the denomination hopper is inserted, it will be returned to the operator as a rejected coin because there is no place to store that coin. On the other hand, the coin processing device 1A according to the embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a non-recirculating storage bin 44, which makes it possible to accept coins of denominations that cannot be stored in the denomination hopper.

[0137] The non-returnable coin storage unit 44 stores coins of denominations that are not dispensed to the coin dispensing box 15 (hereinafter also referred to as "non-returnable coins"). Therefore, unlike the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f, the non-returnable coin storage unit 44 does not have any dispensing functions and functions solely as a coin storage unit. Here, we assume that the non-returnable coin storage unit 44 stores 1-yen coins and 5-yen coins, which are used infrequently, as examples of non-returnable coins. In this context, dispensing functions refer to, for example, the function of dispensing coins to the transport path 38 leading to the temporary dispensing holding unit 14.

[0138] Therefore, the non-recirculating coin dispenser 44 does not have any components related to the coin dispensing function (e.g., motor 31, rotating disk 25, etc.). Furthermore, the non-recirculating coin dispenser 44 does not have any sensors used to identify the dispensed coins (e.g., magnetic sensor 42, etc.).

[0139] The non-recirculating coin storage 44 has a tank section 20 that forms a storage space for storing non-recirculating coins. The lower part 22 of the tank section 20 is provided with a lid 45 to prevent coins C from falling out of the tank section 20. The lid 45 functions as a lid for accumulating coins within the storage space of the tank section 20.

[0140] The upper surface of the lid 45 is positioned slightly higher than the upper surface of the rotating disk 25. This reduces the gap between the tank section 20 and the lower section 22, preventing coins C from flying out of the lower section 22. More specifically, the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f and the non-recirculating chamber 44 share a common basic configuration (such as the shape of the tank section 20). Therefore, if the non-recirculating chamber 44 were to be made by omitting the rotating disk 25 from the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f, an opening would be created in the lower section 22, allowing coins to fall from the tank section 20 into the lower section 22 through this opening. By covering this opening with the lid 45, it is prevented that coins will fall from the tank section 20 into the lower section 22.

[0141] The tank section 20 of the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44 and the tank sections 20 of the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f are almost identical in shape, but they are different in color. This makes it easier to distinguish between the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44 and the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f by sight. More specifically, the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f and the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44 have different management authority. Store employees are generally prohibited from touching the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44, and only authorized operators such as security officers are permitted to touch it. In addition, security officers collect coins from the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44 when collecting sales proceeds, but if the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12f and the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44 have the same external appearance, it is not easy to identify the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44. Therefore, to prevent unauthorized persons from accidentally touching the non-recirculating chamber 44, and to allow authorized persons to easily identify the non-recirculating chamber 44, the colors of the hopper sections 12a to 12f and the non-recirculating chamber 44 are different. Various colors can be used for the tank section 20 of the non-recirculating chamber 44 and the tank section 20 of the hopper sections 12a to 12f.

[0142] For example, if there is only a small amount of coins remaining inside the tank section 20 of the coin-separated hoppers 12a to 12f, they may accumulate on the rotating disk 25, which is located at a relatively low position, or fall into the through-hole 27. Therefore, if there is only a small amount of coins remaining inside the tank section 20, they are relatively difficult to see through the opening 24. To improve the visibility of coins through the side wall of the tank section 20, it is preferable that the tank section 20 of the coin-separated hoppers 12a to 12f be colorless and transparent.

[0143] On the other hand, coins remaining inside the tank section 20 of the non-recirculating chamber 44 are collected on a lid 45 which is positioned higher than the rotating disk 25 of the denomination hopper. Therefore, the coins remaining inside the tank section 20 are relatively easy to see through the opening 24. Thus, since it is not necessary to significantly improve the visibility of the coins through the side walls of the tank section 20, the tank section 20 of the non-recirculating chamber 44 may be colored, unlike the denomination hopper.

[0144] The detachable section 13 is provided with a detector detection sensor (not shown) at each position where a non-recirculating chamber 44 can be attached. The detector detection sensor (not shown) is, for example, an optical sensor such as a photointerrupter, and is an example of the first sensor. The non-recirculating chamber 44 has a detector 46 that allows a detector sensor to detect when it is attached to the attachment / detachment section 13. As shown in Figure 12, the detector 46 is a projection extending downward from the bottom surface of the non-recirculating chamber 44, and is detected by blocking the optical axis of the detector detection sensor. Note that the position where the detector 46 is provided is not limited to the bottom surface of the non-recirculating chamber 44.

[0145] Because such a detector 46 is provided in the non-recirculating chamber 44, the control unit 17 can recognize that the non-recirculating chamber 44 has been installed at a mounting position corresponding to the detector detection sensor (not shown) that detected the detector 46.

[0146] The control unit 17 then controls the sorting and conveying unit 6 to discharge non-recirculating coins identified by the coin identification unit 5 from the denomination-specific discharge port 8a to 8f that corresponds to the installation position where the non-recirculating chamber 44 is installed. The sorting and conveying unit 6 discharges non-recirculating coins identified by the coin identification unit 5 from the denomination-specific discharge port corresponding to the installation position where the non-recirculating chamber 44 is installed, in accordance with the control unit 17.

[0147] In the first embodiment, we primarily assume a case where a non-recirculating compartment 44 that stores a mixture of 1-yen and 5-yen coins is installed instead of a denomination hopper 12f that stores 1-yen coins, which are used infrequently.

[0148] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the coin processing device 1A after the non-recirculating container 44 has been installed in the first embodiment, and is a view of the coin processing device 1A from the right side. In the example shown in Figure 14, a non-recirculating container 44 that stores a mixture of 1-yen coins and 5-yen coins is installed in the attachment / detachment section 13 instead of the denomination hopper 12f (Figure 4) that stores 1-yen coins which are used infrequently.

[0149] In such cases, the sorting and conveying unit 6 moves the sorting gate 450f of the denomination-specific discharge port 8f, which corresponds to the mounting position where the non-recirculating storage unit 44 is installed, to the open position, in accordance with the control of the control unit 17, thereby discharging the non-recirculating coins identified by the coin identification unit 5 from the denomination-specific discharge port 8f. As a result, the non-recirculating coins discharged from the denomination-specific discharge port 8f are stored in the non-recirculating storage unit 44 via the coin temporary holding unit 10.

[0150] On the other hand, coins of denominations other than those of non-recirculating coins are stored in the denomination-specific hoppers 12a to 12e according to their denomination, just as before the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44 was attached to the attachment unit 13.

[0151] Furthermore, the non-recirculating chamber 44 is removed from the attachment / detachment unit 13 each time coins are collected, and after the coins are collected from the non-recirculating chamber 44, it is reattached to the attachment / detachment unit 13. Similarly, at this time, the control unit 17 can recognize that the non-recirculating chamber 44 has been attached to the mounting position corresponding to the detector detection sensor (not shown) that detected the detector 46.

[0152] The side wall of the tank section 20 of the non-recirculating chamber 44 is provided with an optical axis hole 43, similar to the metal-type hoppers 12a to 12f. This optical axis hole 43 is also positioned so that the optical axis of the full detection sensor 18 passes through when the non-recirculating chamber 44 is attached to the attachment section 13. Therefore, if an object is present inside the non-recirculating chamber 44 within the detection range of the full detection sensor 18, that object will be detected by the full detection sensor 18 through the optical axis hole 43.

[0153] As a result, coins accumulate inside the non-recirculating chamber 44, and when the light from the full detection sensor 18 is blocked by the pile of coins that have reached the position of the optical axis hole 43, it is possible to detect that the coins have reached the position of the optical axis hole 43.

[0154] (Control unit 17: After installation of non-recirculating chamber 44) Based on the detection result of the full detection sensor 18, the control unit 17 determines whether the non-recirculating storage unit 44 or the coin-separated hoppers 12a to 12e are full and can no longer store any more coins. If the control unit 17 determines that at least one of the non-recirculating storage unit 44 and the coin-separated hoppers 12a to 12e is full, it notifies the control unit 150 that it is full.

[0155] After the installation of the non-recirculating storage unit 44, the transport of coins from the denomination hoppers is carried out in the same manner as before the installation of the non-recirculating storage unit 44, except that the transport of coins from the denomination hoppers 12f is discontinued.

[0156] The control unit 17 determines that the number of coins stored in the non-recirculating storage compartment 44 has reached a predetermined storage capacity, or that the full detection sensor 18 has determined that the compartment is full. If the coin identification unit 5 determines that any coins are non-recirculating coins, the control unit 17 controls the sorting and conveying unit 6 to discharge those coins from the reject port 7. The sorting and conveying unit 6 discharges the coins determined to be non-recirculating coins from the reject port 7 in accordance with the control unit 17's control. The coin reject compartment 9 stores the coins discharged from the reject port 7. This prevents the coin processing device 1A from stopping operation even when the non-recirculating storage compartment 44 is full.

[0157] The control unit 17 may determine whether the coin hopper has been emptied after the coins have been transported from the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e to the destination. If the control unit 17 determines that the coin hopper has not been emptied, it may control the sorting and transporting unit 6 so that coins identified as non-recirculating coins by the coin identification unit 5 are discharged from the reject port 7, assuming that the non-recirculating coins stored in the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44 may be full.

[0158] The configuration of the coin processing device 1A according to the first embodiment has been described above.

[0159] (1-2. Operation of the coin processing machine) Next, the operation of the coin processing device 1A according to the first embodiment will be described. In particular, the coin deposit and withdrawal processes performed by the coin processing device 1A according to the first embodiment will be described. As mentioned above, the deposit process is a process performed by the coin processing device 1A when sales are received. Also, for example, the withdrawal process is a process performed by the coin processing device 1A when change reserves are withdrawn.

[0160] (Payment processing) Referring to Figures 1 to 14, an example of the operation of the deposit process performed by the coin processing device 1A will be explained.

[0161] The non-recirculating chamber 44 can be installed in place of a denomination hopper at any position in the detachable section 13 where a denomination hopper can be installed. Here, we mainly assume that denomination hopper 12f is replaced with the non-recirculating chamber 44, but any of denomination hoppers 12a to 12e may also be replaced with the non-recirculating chamber 44.

[0162] As shown in Figure 3, when an operator inserts a coin C into the coin receiving unit 2, the coin C inserted into the coin receiving unit 2 falls into the coin dispensing unit 4. The coin dispensing unit 4 separates the fallen coins C one by one and dispenses the separated coins C into the coin identification unit 5.

[0163] Next, the coin identification unit 5 determines the authenticity and denomination of the coins C dispensed by the coin dispensing unit 4. Then, the coin identification unit 5 transports the coins C, whose authenticity and denomination have been determined, to the sorting and transport unit 6.

[0164] The control unit 17 drops coins C that have been determined by the coin identification unit 5 to be non-genuine coins from the reject opening 7 of the sorting and transport unit 6 into the coin reject storage unit 9.

[0165] On the other hand, the control unit 17 drops coin C, which has been determined to be a genuine coin by the coin identification unit 5, from the coin-specific discharge port 8a to 8f corresponding to the denomination of coin C, into the holding section 10a to 10f corresponding to the denomination of coin C. For example, if the denomination of coin C, as determined by the coin identification unit 5, is either a 1-yen or 5-yen non-recirculating coin, the control unit 17 discharges coin C, which is a non-recirculating coin, from the coin-specific discharge port 8f corresponding to the mounting position detected by the detector 46. As a result, the non-recirculating coin discharged from the coin-specific discharge port 8f is stored in the holding section 10f. In addition, coins discharged from the coin-specific discharge ports 8a to 8e are stored in the holding sections 10a to 10e, respectively.

[0166] The operator can choose whether to discharge the coins C stored in the holding sections 10a to 10f into the coin return box 11 or store them in the coin storage section 12. If the operator chooses to discharge the coins C into the coin return box 11, the control unit 17 drops the coins C stored in the holding sections 10a to 10f into the coin return box 11. On the other hand, if the operator chooses to discharge the coins C into the coin storage section 12, the control unit 17 drops them into the non-recirculating storage section 44 and the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12e.

[0167] When the full detection sensor 18 detects an object, the control unit 17 determines that at least one of the non-recirculating chamber 44 and the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e is full, and notifies the control unit 150 that it is full.

[0168] After determining that the coin storage is full, the control unit 17 controls the sorting and transporting unit 6 so that any coins identified by the coin identification unit 5 as non-recirculating coins are ejected from the reject port 7. This prevents the coin processing device 1A from stopping operation even if the non-recirculating storage unit 44 is full of coins.

[0169] (Withdrawal processing) Referring to Figures 1 to 14, an example of the operation of the withdrawal process performed by the coin processing device 1A will be explained.

[0170] First, the operator uses the withdrawal screen displayed on the operation display unit 133 to input the number of coins to be withdrawn for each denomination. Once the number of coins to be withdrawn is entered, the control unit 17 uses the dispensing rollers 36 provided in the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e to dispense the entered number of coins from the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e. The dispensed coins fall into the temporary withdrawal holding unit 14 and are accumulated.

[0171] At this time, the denomination discrimination unit 39 (Figure 10) provided in the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e determines whether the denomination of the coin actually dispensed from the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e is different from the denomination of the coin that should be dispensed.

[0172] If the incorrect denomination detection unit 39 detects a coin of the wrong denomination, the control unit 17 stops dispensing coins C from the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e, drops the coins stored in the temporary withdrawal hold unit 14 into the coin withdrawal box 15, and discharges the coins outside the coin processing device 1A. After that, the operator puts the coins taken from the coin withdrawal box 15 into the coin receiving unit 2, returns the coins to the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e, and then performs the withdrawal process again.

[0173] On the other hand, if the number of coins entered for withdrawal are dispensed from the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e and the denomination discrimination unit 39 does not detect any coins of the wrong denomination, the control unit 17 drops the coins accumulated in the temporary withdrawal holding unit 14 into the coin withdrawal box 15 for storage.

[0174] If a coin jam occurs in any of the coin-type hoppers 12a to 12e during the execution of the dispensing process, the control unit 17 stops dispensing coins. Subsequently, the control unit 17 notifies the control unit 150 of the coin-type hopper where the coin jam occurred, and the control unit 150 displays guidance on the operation display unit 133 prompting the user to pull out the attachment / detachment unit 13 and remove the coins from the coin-type hopper where the jam occurred.

[0175] For example, the operator attempts to clear a coin jam by pulling the attachment / detachment unit 13 out of the housing 60 and removing the coins from the coin-separated hopper where the jam occurred.

[0176] The operation of the coin processing device 1A according to the first embodiment has been described above.

[0177] (1-3. Effects) As described above, in the first embodiment, some of the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f can be attached to the detachable section 13 in place of any of the denomination hoppers 12a to 12f in the non-recirculating storage 44, which stores non-recirculating coins, which are coins of a predetermined denomination that are not dispensed into the coin dispensing box 15 from the coin input opening 3. This makes it possible to improve the convenience of the coin processing device 1A.

[0178] The first embodiment has been described above.

[0179] <2. Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described. First, an overview of the second embodiment will be given with reference to Figures 1 to 13.

[0180] In the second embodiment, the non-recirculating chamber 44 can be installed in place of any of the coin-type hoppers 12a to 12e (the coin storage chamber to be replaced) that are installed closer to the outlet 62 (front side) than the coin-type hopper 12f (the innermost coin storage chamber) which is located furthest from the outlet 62 (rear side) of the coin-type hopper 12f (the innermost coin storage chamber) when the coin-type hopper 13 is housed inside the housing 60. The position furthest from the outlet 62 can also be described as the innermost position of the coin-type hopper 13.

[0181] More specifically, the operator, the security officer, removes the non-returnable container 44 from the attachment / detachment unit 13 each time coins are collected, collects the coins from the non-returnable container 44, and then reattaches the non-returnable container 44 to the attachment / detachment unit 13. At this time, if the denomination hopper 12f at the innermost position is replaced with the non-returnable container 44, the operator must pull out the entire attachment / detachment unit 13 in order to remove the non-returnable container 44 from the innermost position of the attachment / detachment unit 13 or to attach the non-returnable container 44 to the innermost position of the attachment / detachment unit 13.

[0182] In the second embodiment, the non-recirculating chamber 44 can be installed in place of any of the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e other than the innermost denomination hopper 12f. This eliminates the need for the operator to pull out the entire attachment / detachment section 13 to attach or detach the non-recirculating chamber 44, thereby further improving the convenience of the coin processing device 1B (Figure 15). More preferably, the non-recirculating chamber 44 can be installed in place of the frontmost denomination hopper 12a, and the closer the denomination hopper is to the front, the less the attachment / detachment section 13 can be pulled out.

[0183] (2-1. Configuration of coin processing equipment) Next, the configuration of the coin processing device according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0184] In the second embodiment, since the non-recirculating chamber 44 is not installed at the innermost position of the attachment / detachment section 13, a detector detection sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the installed non-recirculating chamber 44 at each installation position other than the innermost position (i.e., at each installation position of the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e other than the denomination hopper 12f at the innermost position).

[0185] As shown in Figure 7, in the sorting and conveying unit 6, the denomination discharge port 8f is located at the uppermost point in the direction of coin transport. The control unit 17 controls the sorting and conveying unit 6 to discharge non-recirculating coins identified by the coin identification unit 5 from any of the denomination discharge ports 8a to 8f, excluding the denomination discharge port 8f located at the uppermost point in the direction of coin transport.

[0186] More specifically, the control unit 17 controls the sorting and conveying unit 6 to discharge non-recirculating coins identified by the coin identification unit 5 from the denomination-specific discharge port 8a to 8e that corresponds to the mounting position of the non-recirculating storage unit 44. The sorting and conveying unit 6 discharges non-recirculating coins identified by the coin identification unit 5 from the denomination-specific discharge port corresponding to the mounting position of the non-recirculating storage unit 44, in accordance with the control unit 17. The non-recirculating storage unit 44 stores the discharged non-recirculating coins.

[0187] In the second embodiment, we primarily consider the case where a non-recirculating coin storage unit 44, which stores 1-yen and 5-yen coins together, is installed instead of the denomination-specific hopper 12a (Figure 4) that stores 500-yen coins.

[0188] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the coin processing device 1B after the non-recirculating compartment 44 has been installed in the second embodiment, and is a view of the coin processing device 1B from the right side. In the example shown in Figure 15, the non-recirculating compartment 44, which stores 1 yen coins and 5 yen coins together, is installed in place of the denomination hopper 12a (Figure 4) that stores 500 yen coins in the attachment / detachment section 13.

[0189] In such cases, the sorting and conveying unit 6 moves the sorting gate 450a of the denomination-specific discharge port 8a, which corresponds to the mounting position where the non-recirculating storage unit 44 is installed, to the open position, in accordance with the control of the control unit 17, thereby discharging the non-recirculating coins identified by the coin identification unit 5 from the denomination-specific discharge port 8a. As a result, the non-recirculating coins discharged from the denomination-specific discharge port 8a are stored in the non-recirculating storage unit 44 via the coin temporary holding unit 10.

[0190] On the other hand, coins of denominations other than those of non-recirculating coins are stored in the denomination hoppers 12b to 12f according to their denomination, just as before the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44 was attached to the attachment unit 13. After the installation of the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44, the transport of coins from the denomination hoppers is carried out in the same manner as before the installation of the non-recirculating coin storage unit 44, except that the transport of coins from the denomination hopper 12a is discontinued.

[0191] The configuration of the coin processing device 2A according to the second embodiment has been described above.

[0192] (2-2. Operation of the coin processing machine) Next, the operation of the coin processing device 1B according to the second embodiment will be described. In particular, the coin deposit and withdrawal processes performed by the coin processing device 1B according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0193] (Payment processing) An example of the operation of the deposit process performed by the coin processing device 1B will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 13 and Figure 15. In the second embodiment, the non-recirculating storage unit 44 can be installed in place of any of the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e other than the innermost denomination hopper 12f. Here, we mainly assume that the non-recirculating storage unit 44 is installed in place of denomination hopper 12a among the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e.

[0194] The control unit 17 discharges non-recirculating coins identified by the coin identification unit 5 from the coin type discharge port 8a corresponding to the mounting position detected by the detector 46. As a result, non-recirculating coins discharged from the coin type discharge port 8a are stored in the holding unit 10a. Coins discharged from the other coin type discharge ports 8b to 8f are stored in the holding units 10b to 10f.

[0195] Subsequent deposit processing is carried out in the same manner as the deposit processing in the first embodiment, except that the "denomination hopper 12f" is used instead of the "denomination hopper 12a".

[0196] (Withdrawal processing) Next, an example of the operation of the withdrawal process performed by the coin processing device 1B will be described. The withdrawal process performed by the coin processing device 1B is performed in the same manner as the withdrawal process in the first embodiment, except that the "denomination hopper 12f" is used instead of the "denomination hopper 12a".

[0197] The operation of the coin processing device 1B according to the second embodiment has been described above.

[0198] (2-3. Effects) As described above, in the second embodiment, the non-recirculating chamber 44 can be installed in place of any of the denomination hoppers 12a to 12e other than the denomination hopper 12f, which is located at the innermost position furthest from the outlet 62 of the attachment / detachment section 13 in the housing 60 when the attachment / detachment section 13 is pushed into the housing 60.

[0199] This configuration makes it possible to further improve the convenience of the coin processing device 1B. More specifically, the operator does not need to pull out the entire attachment / detachment section 13 in order to remove the coin denomination hoppers 12a to 12e or to install the non-recirculating chamber 44, thus further improving the convenience of the coin processing device 1B.

[0200] The second embodiment has now been described.

[0201] (3. Summary) Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are also understood to fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0202] Generally, the identification process performed by the coin identification unit 5 (for example, reading the characteristics of the coins, determining the denomination of the coins, etc.) takes a certain amount of time. Therefore, in order to ensure sufficient time for identification by the coin identification unit 5, in the sorting and conveying unit 6, after the coins are conveyed to the back of the device, they are conveyed to the front of the device, and the denomination-specific discharge ports, which discharge the coins by denomination, are located in the sorting and conveying unit 6, returning from the back of the device to the front.

[0203] In this case, the size of the coin-denomination discharge ports may be increased from upstream to downstream in the direction of coin transport, so that smaller coins are discharged first. For example, if small coins (such as 1-yen coins) are not to be recycled, it is necessary to provide coin-denomination discharge ports to the non-recycled storage at the upstream position in the transport direction (i.e., the furthest position in the device).

[0204] Compared to such general technologies, in the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to control the discharge of coins from the coin-separated discharge port by opening and closing a sorting gate provided at the coin-separated discharge port. Therefore, according to the embodiments of the present invention, the coin-separated discharge port for discharging coins into the non-recirculating chamber 44 can be provided at a position other than the upstream position in the conveying direction (i.e., the innermost position of the device). [Explanation of symbols]

[0205] 1. Coin processing device 2. Coin receiving section 3 Coin slot 5. Coin Identification Department 6. Sorting and Conveying Section 7 Rejection slots 8a~8f Outlet by denomination 9 Coin Rejection Cabinet 10. Coin temporary holding section 11 Coin return box 12 Coin storage compartment 12a~12f Hopper by currency type 13 Detachable part 14 Withdrawal Temporary Holding Department 15 Coin Dispenser 16 Coin collection box 160 Storage section 17 Control Unit 18 Full detection sensors 44 Non-reflux storage 46 Detector 60 cabinets 92 Memory section 100 Banknote Processing Devices 101 Bill slot 104 Banknote Validation Department 106 Banknote temporary storage section 1.07 million voucher recycling warehouse 109 5,000 Ticket Return Warehouse 111 1,000 coupon recycle warehouse 112 Banknote storage compartment 113 Banknote Collection Box 115 Banknote Rejection Box 200 deposit / withdrawal machines

Claims

1. The deposit compartment into which coins are inserted, A discrimination unit for determining the denomination of the coins inserted into the deposit compartment, A sorting and conveying unit sorts the coins by denomination and conveys them based on the sorting result from the sorting unit, Multiple coin storage units for storing the coins transported by the sorting and transporting unit, sorted by denomination, The attachment section to which the aforementioned multiple coin storage compartments are detachably attached, A dispensing section from which coins dispensed from the aforementioned multiple coin storage compartments are dispensed, Equipped with, The aforementioned detachable part is Some of the aforementioned multiple coin storage compartments can be replaced with non-returnable coin compartments that store non-returnable coins, which are coins of a predetermined denomination that are inserted into the deposit compartment but not dispensed into the dispensing compartment. Each of the aforementioned multiple coin storage compartments and the non-recirculating compartment has a tank section that forms a storage space for storing coins. The tank section of the coin storage chamber and the tank section of the non-recirculating chamber are formed in different colors. The aforementioned coin storage unit is A dispensing mechanism for dispensing the coins out of the storage space is provided at the bottom of the storage space. The aforementioned non-recirculating chamber is A lid for accumulating the coins within the storage space is provided at the bottom of the storage space. Coin disposal device.

2. The housing further comprises the aforementioned detachable part, which can be housed in an internal space. The detachable part is housed in the space through the opening of the housing or can be pulled out from the space to the outside. The non-recirculating compartment is installed in place of the coin storage compartment located closer to the opening, rather than the innermost coin storage compartment, which is located furthest from the opening when the detachable part is housed inside the housing. The coin processing device according to claim 1.

3. The sorting and conveying unit is, The system includes a plurality of coin-type discharge ports provided along the coin transport path, and the coins are stored by denomination in the plurality of coin storage units or non-recirculating units via the plurality of coin-type discharge ports. The aforementioned non-recirculating chamber is Of the multiple coin-type discharge ports, coins are stored through any coin-type discharge port other than the one located at the uppermost position in the coin transport direction in the sorting and transporting section. The coin processing device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned detachable part is Each position where the non-recirculating chamber can be installed is provided with a first sensor for detecting that the non-recirculating chamber has been installed. The sorting and conveying unit is, The coins of the predetermined denominations that were inserted into the deposit section are transported to be stored in the non-recirculating chamber via the denomination-specific discharge port corresponding to the position where the non-recirculating chamber is detected by the first sensor. The coin processing device according to claim 3.

5. The sorting and conveying unit is, It is equipped with a reject port for ejecting coins that have been determined not to be genuine by the discrimination unit, The aforementioned coin processing device is A second sensor for detecting an object located at a predetermined position in the plurality of coin storage compartments or the non-recirculating compartment, A control unit that determines, based on the detection result of the second sensor, whether any of the plurality of coin storage compartments or the non-recirculating compartment is full and can no longer store any more coins, Equipped with, After determining that the container is full, if the discriminator determines that there are coins of a predetermined denomination, the control unit controls the sorting and transporting unit so that the coins are ejected from the ejection port. A coin processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The deposit compartment into which coins are inserted, A discrimination unit for determining the denomination of the coins inserted into the deposit compartment, A sorting and conveying unit sorts the coins by denomination and conveys them based on the sorting result from the sorting unit, Multiple coin storage units for storing the coins transported by the sorting and transporting unit, sorted by denomination, The attachment section to which the aforementioned multiple coin storage compartments are detachably attached, A dispensing section from which coins dispensed from the aforementioned multiple coin storage compartments are dispensed, Equipped with, The aforementioned detachable part is Some of the aforementioned multiple coin storage compartments can be replaced with non-returnable coin compartments that store non-returnable coins, which are coins of a predetermined denomination that are inserted into the deposit compartment but not dispensed into the dispensing compartment. Each of the aforementioned multiple coin storage compartments and the non-recirculating compartment has a tank section that forms a storage space for storing coins. The tank section of the coin storage chamber and the tank section of the non-recirculating chamber are formed in different colors. The aforementioned coin storage unit is A dispensing mechanism for dispensing the coins out of the storage space is provided at the bottom of the storage space. The aforementioned non-recirculating chamber is A lid for accumulating the coins within the storage space is provided at the bottom of the storage space. Coin processing equipment, The banknote slot into which banknotes are inserted, A banknote identification unit that determines whether the banknote inserted into the banknote insertion slot is a normal banknote, and if the banknote is a normal banknote, determines the denomination of the banknote, A banknote storage section for storing the aforementioned banknotes by denomination, A banknote processing device equipped with, A currency handling device that has the following features.

Images