Banknote processing equipment

Abstract

To more reliably remove foreign substances.SOLUTION: A bill processing apparatus comprises: a bill slot; a bill storage part that stores a bill inserted from the bill slot; and a foreign substance ejection part that is provided below the bill storage part. The bill storage unit is provided, at its bottom, with a plurality of bill support parts that extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the apparatus to be inclined from the rear toward the front of the apparatus and are arranged at an interval in a width direction orthogonal to the fore-and-aft direction of the apparatus, and foreign substance fall holes that are located on both sides in the width direction of the bill support parts and connected with the foreign substance ejection part. The size in the width direction of the foreign substance fall holes is larger than the diameter of coins with the maximum diameter assumed as foreign substances. The bill support parts each have, on the front side of the apparatus, a projection that projects toward an upper part of the apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In a banknote processing apparatus having a banknote depositing function, for example, banknotes inserted from a banknote insertion slot into a banknote storage section are taken in one by one, the denomination is discriminated, and the banknotes are deposited in a banknote storage by denomination.

[0003] As this type of banknote processing apparatus, there is one in which the bottom of the banknote storage section is inclined so as to descend from the rear to the front of the apparatus, and further, this bottom is composed of a plurality of banknote support portions extending in the front-rear direction arranged at intervals in the width direction of the apparatus and foreign object dropping holes between the banknote support portions, forming a shape like a bamboo basket.

[0004] In this banknote processing apparatus, for example, when foreign objects such as coins are inserted from the banknote insertion slot into the banknote storage section together with the banknotes, the banknotes are supported by the banknote support portions, while the foreign objects are dropped below the banknote storage section from the foreign object dropping holes, so that the foreign objects can be removed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the conventional banknote processing apparatus, there is a problem that foreign objects inserted from the banknote insertion slot into the banknote storage section may not fall into the foreign object dropping holes but may slide on the banknote support portions from the rear to the front of the apparatus and stay on the banknote support portions.

[0007] This invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a banknote processing device that can more reliably remove foreign matter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a banknote processing device comprising a banknote slot, a banknote storage section for storing banknotes inserted from the banknote slot, and a foreign object discharge section provided below the banknote storage section. The bottom of the banknote storage section is provided with a plurality of banknote support sections that extend in the front-rear direction of the device so as to be inclined from the rear to the front and are spaced apart in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the device, and foreign object drop holes located on both sides of the banknote support sections in the width direction and connected to the foreign object discharge section. The width of the foreign object drop holes is larger than the diameter of the largest coin expected to be considered as foreign object, and the banknote support sections have projections on the front side of the device that protrude upward toward the device. Furthermore, the foreign matter discharge section is configured to discharge foreign matter from its front end, which is the front end of the device, and has a constricted wall portion on the front side of the device that narrows the width of the foreign matter discharge section as it approaches the front end of the foreign matter discharge section, and the projection is positioned such that there is a gap between the rear end of the projection provided on the banknote support portion located on one end in the width direction and the constricted wall portion located outside in the width direction as seen from the projection, which is larger than the diameter of the largest coin assumed to be the foreign matter. Furthermore, the banknote processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a banknote slot, a banknote storage section for storing banknotes inserted from the banknote slot, and a foreign object discharge section provided below the banknote storage section, wherein the bottom of the banknote storage section is provided with a plurality of banknote support sections that extend in the front-rear direction of the apparatus so as to be inclined from the rear to the front of the apparatus and are spaced apart in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the apparatus, and foreign object drop holes located on both sides of the banknote support sections in the width direction and connected to the foreign object discharge section, wherein the size of the foreign object drop holes in the width direction is larger than the diameter of the largest diameter coin expected to be considered as foreign object, and the banknote support section The device further comprises a bill press that is movable in the front-to-back direction of the device and has a projection that protrudes upward toward the device on the front side of the device, and the projection is positioned such that when the bill press is in the frontmost position of the device within the bill press, the rear end of the projection, which is the rear end of the device, does not protrude further toward the rear of the device than the rear surface of the bill press, which is the rear surface of the device, and a recess is provided at the lower end of the bill press at a position corresponding to the projection, which is larger than the projection when viewed from the front-to-back direction of the device and avoids the projection.Furthermore, the banknote processing device of the present invention comprises a banknote slot, a banknote storage section for storing banknotes inserted from the banknote slot, and a foreign object discharge section provided below the banknote storage section. The bottom of the banknote storage section is provided with a plurality of banknote support sections that extend in the front-rear direction of the device so as to slope from the rear to the front of the device and are spaced apart in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the device, and foreign object drop holes located on both sides of the banknote support sections in the width direction and connected to the foreign object discharge section. The width of the foreign object drop holes is larger than the diameter of the largest coin expected to be considered as foreign object. The banknote support sections have projections on the front side of the device that protrude upward toward the device, and the rear end of the projection, which is the rear end of the device, is circular in shape and bulges toward the rear of the device when viewed from above. Furthermore, the banknote processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a banknote slot, a banknote storage section for storing banknotes inserted from the banknote slot, and a foreign object discharge section provided below the banknote storage section. The bottom of the banknote storage section is provided with a plurality of banknote support sections that extend in the front-rear direction of the apparatus so as to slope from the rear to the front of the apparatus and are spaced apart in the width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the apparatus, and foreign object drop holes located on both sides of the banknote support sections in the width direction and connected to the foreign object discharge section. The width of the foreign object drop holes is larger than the diameter of the largest coin expected to be considered as foreign object. The banknote support sections have projections on the front side of the apparatus that protrude upward toward the apparatus, and the rear end of the projection, which is the rear end of the apparatus, has a tapered shape that is pointed toward the rear of the apparatus when viewed from above.

[0009] By providing an upward-projecting projection on the front side of the banknote support section, foreign objects sliding across the banknote support section can come into contact with this projection and fall into the foreign object drop hole, preventing them from accumulating on the banknote support section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a banknote processing device that can more reliably remove foreign matter can be realized. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a deposit / withdrawal machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the banknote unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the internal configuration of the banknote deposit section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows the configuration of the bill press according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is the first figure used to explain the position of the protrusion according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is the second figure used to explain the position of the protrusion according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing the operation (when inserting a banknote) of the banknote depositing unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing the operation (when taking in a banknote) of the banknote depositing unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is the first diagram showing the operation (when discharging foreign matter) of the banknote depositing unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is the second diagram showing the operation (when discharging foreign matter) of the banknote depositing unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This is the third diagram showing the operation (when discharging foreign matter) of the banknote depositing unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing the configuration to be compared of the banknote depositing unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the banknote depositing unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the bill press according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a diagram showing the shape pattern of the protrusion according to another embodiment. [Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention]

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

[0013] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. External Configuration of the Deposit and Withdrawal Machine] Fig. 1 shows the appearance of the deposit and withdrawal machine 1 as the first embodiment. The deposit and withdrawal machine 1 shown in Fig. 1 is, for example, a self-checkout machine capable of depositing and withdrawing banknotes and coins, and is installed at the checkout of retail stores such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations. This deposit and withdrawal machine 1 is connected to a register such as a POS register not shown and operates based on the control of the register.

[0014] The deposit and withdrawal machine 1 has a box-shaped device housing 2. Here, among the surfaces forming the device housing 2, the surface facing the user is the front surface 2a, and the upper surface as viewed from the user is the upper surface 2b.

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

[0016] Furthermore, a banknote insertion slot 5 into which banknotes are inserted is provided at the upper left of the front surface 2a of the device housing 2. Further, a banknote discharge slot 6 through which banknotes are discharged is provided below the banknote insertion slot 5. Note that, for example, a shutter is provided at the banknote insertion slot 5 so that it is exposed or shielded by opening and closing the shutter. Further, on the front surface 2a of the device housing 2, a foreign object discharge slot 7 through which foreign objects inserted into the banknote insertion slot 5 are discharged is provided between the banknote insertion slot 5 and the banknote discharge slot 6. The banknote insertion slot 5, the banknote discharge slot 6, and the foreign object discharge slot 7 are incorporated into the deposit and withdrawal machine 1 as a part of the banknote unit 8 described later.

[0017] Furthermore, on the front surface 2a of the device housing 2, a coin slot 9 is provided to the right of the banknote slot 5, and a coin outlet 10 is provided below the banknote outlet 6, for discharging coins. Foreign objects (specifically coins) discharged from the foreign object discharge port 7 fall into a tray 11 located in the coin outlet 10 below and are collected by the tray 11. The coin slot 9 and coin outlet 10 are incorporated into the deposit / withdrawal machine 1 as part of the coin unit 12.

[0018] [1-2. Configuration of the banknote unit] Next, the configuration of the banknote unit 8 will be explained using Figure 2. As shown in the external perspective view in Figure 2, the banknote unit 8 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 20 that is long in the front-to-back direction. A banknote slot 5 into which banknotes are inserted is provided at the upper front of this housing 20, and a banknote outlet 6 into which banknotes are discharged is provided at the lower front. A foreign object discharge port 7 is provided between the banknote slot 5 and the banknote outlet 6. The banknote unit 8 takes in banknotes inserted into the banknote slot 5 by the user and stores them inside the housing 2, and also discharges the banknotes stored inside as change from the banknote outlet 6. The banknote unit 8 also discharges foreign objects (for example, coins inserted together with banknotes) inserted into the banknote slot 5 from the foreign object discharge port 7.

[0019] Inside the housing 2 of this banknote unit 8, a banknote deposit section 100 is provided at the front upper part (i.e., behind the banknote slot 5) to take in banknotes inserted into the banknote slot 5. The configuration of this banknote deposit section 100 will be described in detail below.

[0020] [1-3. Configuration of the banknote deposit section] Figure 3(A) shows a top view of the banknote deposit section 100 as seen from above. Figure 3(B) shows a side view of the banknote deposit section 100 as seen from the right. Figures 3(A) and (B) are schematic diagrams with some parts omitted or simplified. As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), the banknote deposit section 100 is mainly composed of a banknote storage section 101 that stores banknotes inserted from the banknote slot 5 (Figure 2). In the banknote deposit section 100, as shown in Figures 7(A) and (B), banknotes are inserted into the banknote storage section 101 with the long side of the banknote in the left-right direction and the thickness in the front-back direction, and the inserted banknotes are stored in an upright position on the bottom of the banknote storage section 101, stacked in the front-back direction.

[0021] The upper end of the banknote compartment 101 is open and connected to the banknote slot 5. A front frame 102 is provided at the front end of the banknote compartment 101, forming the front wall surface of the banknote compartment 101, and a guide 103 is provided at the rear end of the banknote compartment 101, forming the rear wall surface of the banknote compartment 101. The guide 103 extends below the bottom of the banknote compartment 101. Although not shown, side frames are provided at the left and right ends of the banknote compartment 101, forming the left and right wall surfaces, respectively.

[0022] The bottom of the banknote storage section 101 slopes downward from rear to front, with the rear end of this bottom serving as a gate guide 104, and the portion located in front of the gate guide 104 serving as a banknote support section 105. Furthermore, a foreign object duct 106 is provided below the banknote support section 105.

[0023] The gate guide 104 is a plate-shaped member with an L-shaped cross-section, whose rear end portion extends downward. A predetermined gap R is formed between the downward-extending portion of the gate guide 104 and the lower end portion of the guide 103, and the banknotes stored in the banknote storage section 101 are fed out one by one through this gap R and taken into the banknote unit 8. Therefore, this gap R will be referred to as the transport path R below. In other words, the gate guide 104 consists of an upper part that forms the rear end portion of the bottom of the banknote storage section 101 and a lower part that forms the transport path R.

[0024] Furthermore, a gate roller 107 is provided on the gate guide 104 side (front side) of the transport path R, and a feed roller 108 is provided on the guide 103 side (rear side). These gate roller 107 and feed roller 108 are positioned opposite each other so that a portion of them protrudes into the transport path R from the gate guide 104 and guide 103, respectively, and they come into contact with each other within the transport path R. Above the feed roller 108, a picker roller 109 (omitted in Figure 3(A)) is provided so that a portion of it protrudes into the banknote storage section 101 from the guide 103.

[0025] These gate roller 107, feed roller 108, and picker roller 109 are rollers that rotate by actuators (not shown) and have the function of feeding out banknotes one by one through the transport path R that are stored in the banknote storage section 101.

[0026] The banknote support section 105 is a rectangular bar-shaped member that extends in the front-to-back direction and has a length in the width direction (i.e., left-to-right direction) that is sufficiently shorter than the banknote storage section 101, extending from the upper front end of the gate guide 104 to the lower end of the front frame 102. The width of the banknote support section 105 is approximately 2 mm, which is sufficiently small even when compared to the diameter of the smallest diameter coin (for example, a 1 yen coin) that is considered a foreign object. This banknote support section 105 is a member (rib) that supports the banknotes stored in the banknote storage section 101. The upper part of the gate guide 104 and the banknote support section 105, which form the bottom of the banknote storage section 101, are inclined downwards from rear to front.

[0027] At the bottom of the banknote storage section 101, multiple banknote support sections 105 (four in this embodiment) are arranged at intervals in the width direction. In addition, at the bottom of the banknote storage section 101, foreign object drop holes 110 are provided between the banknote support sections 105 and further outside the banknote support sections 105 located on the outermost side in the width direction (i.e., the leftmost banknote support section 105 and the rightmost banknote support section 105), connecting the banknote storage section 101 to the foreign object duct 106.

[0028] In the banknote deposit section 100, banknotes inserted into the banknote storage section 101 are supported by the banknote support section 105, while foreign objects (assuming coins) inserted into the banknote storage section 101 are dropped into the foreign object duct 106 through the foreign object drop hole 110. Focusing solely on the dropping of foreign objects, it is desirable to make the width (length in the left-right direction) of the foreign object drop hole 110 as wide as possible. However, widening the foreign object drop hole 110 would increase the spacing between the banknote support sections 105. Note that the width of the foreign object drop hole 110 referred to here is the width of the rear side of the foreign object drop hole 110. Since it is also anticipated that banknotes folded in half (called stub banknotes) may be inserted into the banknote storage section 101, the spacing between the banknote support sections 105 must be at least narrower than half the length in the longitudinal direction of the shortest banknote to prevent such stub banknotes from falling through the foreign object drop hole 110. For this reason, in the banknote deposit section 100, the spacing of the banknote support sections 105 (i.e., the width of the foreign object drop hole 110) is selected to be the maximum spacing that is less than half the length of the shortest banknote in the longitudinal direction. Here, among the coins that are assumed to be foreign objects, the diameter of the largest diameter coin (for example, a 500 yen coin) is smaller than half the length of the shortest banknote in the longitudinal direction. For this reason, even if the largest diameter coin is inserted into the banknote storage section 101 as a foreign object, this coin can be dropped through the foreign object drop hole 110.

[0029] Furthermore, each front end of the banknote support section 105 is provided with an upwardly projecting projection 111. The projection 111 is, for example, a plate-shaped member having the same width as the banknote support section 105, with its rear surface being almost perpendicular to the upper surface of the banknote support section 105 and a flat surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the banknote support section 105. As will be described in more detail later, the purpose of this projection 111 is to collide with a coin, which is assumed to be a foreign object, if it slides forward on the banknote support section 105, and cause the coin to fall into the foreign object drop hole 110. For this reason, it is desirable that the height of the projection 111 on the banknote support section 105 (i.e., the amount of protrusion) is greater than the thickness of the thickest coin (for example, a 500 yen coin) so that the coin that is colliding with it does not go over it.

[0030] Furthermore, a bill press 112 is provided within the bill storage section 101, which is slidable in the front-to-back direction within the bill storage section 101. The bill press 112 is a plate-like member whose length in the front-to-back direction is considerably shorter than that of the bill storage section 101, and whose length in the left-to-right and up-to-down directions is approximately the same as that of the bill storage section 101. In the bill deposit section 100, when a bill is inserted, the bill press 112 is moved to a position close to the front frame 102, and the inserted bill is stored between the bill press 112 and the guide 103. In other words, the space between the bill press 112 and the guide 103 of the entire bill storage section 101 is the bill storage space, and bills and foreign objects are inserted into this bill storage space.

[0031] A small gap is provided between the lower end of the bill press 112 and the banknote support section 105 to account for manufacturing and assembly tolerances. This gap is large enough to allow the maximum thickness of a coin considered as a foreign object to pass through. Furthermore, this gap is smaller than the protrusion of the projection 111 provided on the banknote support section 105. For this reason, as shown in Figure 4, a cross-sectional view of the bill press 112 when viewed from the rear, the lower end of the bill press 112 has four recesses 112h that are slightly larger than the projections 111 when viewed from the front or back, corresponding to the four projections 111, so that the bill press 112 does not interfere with the projections 111 when it slides. As a result, the bill press 112 can slide without interfering with the projections 111 by avoiding them with the recesses 112h.

[0032] Furthermore, in the banknote deposit section 100, the rear end of the projection 111 is designed not to protrude further back than the rear surface of the bill press 112, so as not to collide with and interfere with the banknotes stored behind the bill press 112.

[0033] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the length from the front end of the banknote support portion 105 to the rear end of the projection portion 111 is X, and the distance from the front end of the banknote support portion 105 to the rear surface of the bill press 112 when the bill press 112 moves to the position closest to the front frame 102 (i.e., when the banknote storage space between the bill press 112 and the guide 103 is at its maximum) is Y. The size of the projection portion 111 and the position of the bill press 112 are selected such that X ≤ Y.

[0034] The foreign matter duct 106 is sloped downwards from rear to front at its bottom, with its upper and front ends open. The upper end is connected to the banknote storage section 101 via the foreign matter drop hole 110, and the front end is connected to the foreign matter discharge port 7 (Figure 2).

[0035] Foreign objects that fall from the banknote storage section 101 into the foreign object duct 106 slide forward along the bottom of the foreign object duct 106 and are discharged from the foreign object discharge port 7. At this time, discharge of foreign objects towards the center in the width direction (left-right direction) of the foreign object discharge port 7 improves the visibility of the foreign objects to the user. For this reason, as shown in Figure 3(A), the foreign object duct 106, except for the front end portion 106AL of the outer wall on the left end, is perpendicular to the width direction (left-right direction) of the foreign object duct 106, while the front end portion 106AL is tilted so as it moves forward (i.e., as it approaches the foreign object discharge port 7) it moves closer to the center in the width direction of the foreign object duct 106. Similarly, the front end portion 106AR of the outer wall on the right end is also tilted so as it moves forward it moves closer to the center in the width direction of the foreign object duct 106. In other words, the foreign object duct 106 has a constricted shape at the front end portions 106AL and 106AR of the left and right outer walls, which narrows as they move forward. This allows foreign objects that fall from the banknote storage section 101 to be discharged towards the center of the foreign object discharge port 7 in the width direction (left-right direction). The front end portions 106AL and 106AR of the left and right outer walls will be referred to as the constricted wall portions 106AL and 106AR below.

[0036] Furthermore, as described above, the constricted wall portions 106AL and 106AR on the left and right sides of the foreign object duct 106 have a constricted shape that narrows towards the center in the width direction. Therefore, the foreign object drop hole 110 at the left end, where the constricted wall portion 106AL is located at the front, and the foreign object drop hole 110 at the right end, where the constricted wall portion 106AR is located at the front, are both narrower in width towards the front.

[0037] Furthermore, the leftmost of the four banknote support sections 105 is positioned slightly towards the center (i.e., inward) in the width direction of the foreign object duct 106 than the front end of the constricted wall section 106AL at the left end of the foreign object duct 106. Similarly, the rightmost banknote support section 105 is positioned slightly towards the center (i.e., inward) in the width direction of the foreign object duct 106 than the front end of the constricted wall section 106AR at the right end.

[0038] Here, as shown in Figure 6(A), consider the case where the largest diameter coin Ci, as a foreign object inserted into the banknote storage section 101, slides forward, for example, on the left banknote support section 105. In this case, the largest diameter coin Ci, which has slid forward on the left banknote support section 105, collides with the rear end of the projection 111 provided at the front end of the banknote support section 105, and is displaced, for example, to the left, and falls into the foreign object drop hole 110 located to the left of the left banknote support section 105.

[0039] However, as described above, the constricted wall portion 106AL at the left end of the foreign object duct 106 approaches the center in the width direction of the foreign object duct 106 as it moves forward. Therefore, the foreign object drop hole 110 located to the left of the banknote support portion 105 at the left end narrows in width as it moves forward. For this reason, as shown in Figure 6(B), which is an enlargement of the dotted line frame in Figure 6(A), if the position of the rear end of the projection portion 111 is too close to the front end of the banknote support portion 105 at the left end, the largest diameter coin Ci may collide with the rear end of the projection portion 111 and shift to the left, causing it to ride up on the constricted wall portion 106AL at the left end and remain there without falling into the foreign object drop hole 110.

[0040] For this reason, in the banknote deposit section 100, the length X (Figure 5) from the front end of the banknote support section 105 to the rear end of the projection 111 is selected to be an appropriate length so that even if the largest diameter coin Ci slides along the banknote support section 105, this largest diameter coin Ci will be reliably dropped into the foreign object drop hole 110.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6(C), if r is the radius of the largest diameter coin Ci among the coins Ci assumed to be foreign objects, V is the distance from the front end of the banknote support part 105 on the left to the front end of the constricted wall part 106AL on the left, θ is the inclination angle of the constricted wall part 106AL (i.e., the angle between the banknote support part 105 and the constricted wall part 106AL), Z is the distance in the front-to-back direction from the front end of the banknote support part 105 to the center of the largest diameter coin Ci when the outer circumference of the largest diameter coin Ci is in contact with the constricted wall part 106AL and the left end of the banknote support part 105, and Z2 is the width of the foreign object drop hole 110 from the point where the banknote support part 105 and the largest diameter coin Ci are in contact to the constricted wall part 106AL, then Z can be calculated using equations (1) to (3) shown below.

[0042] Z² = r + r / cos(θ) ... (1) (Z²-V) / Z=tan(θ)……(2) Z=(Z2-V) / tan(θ)=(r+r / cos(θ)-V) / tan(θ)……(3)

[0043] Here, if the length X from the front end of the banknote support portion 105 to the rear end of the projection portion 111 is greater than or equal to Z (in other words, if there is a gap between the rear end of the projection portion 111 and the constricted wall portion 106AL that is larger than the diameter of the largest diameter coin Ci), then when the largest diameter coin Ci collides with, for example, the rear end of the projection portion 111 of the left banknote support portion 105 and shifts to the left, the largest diameter coin Ci will fall into the foreign object drop hole 110 without riding up onto the constricted wall portion 106AL at the left end. Therefore, in order for the largest diameter coin Ci to fall into the foreign object drop hole 110 reliably, Z ≤ X.

[0044] Furthermore, as mentioned above, X must be less than or equal to Y so that the front end of the projection 111 does not protrude further back than the rear surface of the bill press 112 (i.e., towards the banknote storage space). Taking these factors into consideration, X must satisfy equation (4) shown below.

[0045] (r+r / cos(θ)-V) / tan(θ)≦X≦Y……(4)

[0046] Therefore, in the banknote deposit section 100, the length X from the front end of the banknote support section 105 to the rear end of the projection 111 is selected to satisfy equation (4) above. In this way, in the banknote deposit section 100, the projection 111 does not interfere with the banknotes stored in the banknote storage section 101, and the coin Ci as a foreign object can be reliably dropped into the foreign object drop hole 110. The configuration of the banknote deposit section 100 is as described above.

[0047] [1-4. Operation of the banknote deposit section] Next, the normal operation of the banknote deposit section 100 when it takes in inserted banknotes will be explained using Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 shows the normal operation when inserting banknotes, and Figure 8 shows the normal operation when taking in banknotes.

[0048] As shown in Figures 7(A) and (B), when inserting banknotes, the banknote deposit section 100 is opened in front of the bill press 112 in the banknote storage section 101, and a bundle of banknotes Bi is inserted into it. At this time, the banknotes Bi are supported by the banknote support section 105 so as not to fall into the foreign object drop hole 110 while in an upright position.

[0049] Subsequently, as shown in Figures 8(A) and (B), when banknotes are taken in, the banknote deposit unit 100 moves the bill press 112 backward (towards the guide 103), pressing the stack of banknotes Bi against the picker roller 109 (Figure 8(B)). At this time, the stack of banknotes Bi is supported in an upright position by the upper part of the gate guide 104 located behind the banknote support unit 105. In this state, the banknote deposit unit 100 rotates the picker roller 109 and the feed roller 108 to separate the stack of banknotes Bi one by one and send them to the transport path R below, from which they are fed out. The banknotes Bi fed out from the banknote deposit unit 100 in this way are taken into the banknote unit 8.

[0050] In this embodiment, the banknote deposit unit 100 is only equipped with a deposit function, but it can also be equipped with a withdrawal function. In this case, the banknote deposit unit 100 rotates the gate roller 107 and the feed roller 108 to feed the banknotes that have been sent from inside the banknote unit 8 to the transport path R, and accumulates them between the bill press 112 and the guide 103. At this time, as the number of banknotes accumulated increases, the banknote deposit unit 100 moves the bill press 112 forward to widen the banknote storage space between the bill press 112 and the guide 103. The user receives the banknotes stored in the banknote deposit unit 100 in this way from the banknote slot 5.

[0051] Next, as an operation of the banknote deposit section 100, the discharge operation in which foreign objects inserted from the banknote slot 5 are discharged from the foreign object discharge port 7 will be explained using Figures 9 to 11. Figure 9 shows the discharge operation when a foreign object falls onto the foreign object drop hole 110, and Figures 10 and 11 show the discharge operation when a foreign object falls onto the gate guide 104.

[0052] As shown in Figures 9(A) and (B), when a coin Ci as foreign matter falls onto the foreign matter drop hole 110, the coin Ci falls through the foreign matter drop hole 110 into the foreign matter duct 106, slides forward along the bottom of the foreign matter duct 106, and is discharged from the foreign matter outlet 7 (Figure 2) located at the front of the foreign matter duct 106. Although not shown in the figure, when a coin Ci as foreign matter falls onto the banknote support section 105, because the width of the banknote support section 105 is sufficiently small compared to the diameter of the coin Ci, the coin Ci shifts to either the left or right of the banknote support section 105 and falls through the foreign matter drop hole 110 into the foreign matter duct 106. The coin Ci that falls into the foreign matter duct 106 slides forward inside the foreign matter duct 106 and is discharged from the foreign matter outlet 7 (Figure 2) located at the front of the foreign matter duct 106.

[0053] In this way, foreign objects that fall into the foreign object drop hole 110 or the banknote support section 105 will, in both cases, fall through the foreign object drop hole 110 into the foreign object duct 106, slide down inside the foreign object duct 106, and be discharged from the foreign object discharge port 7.

[0054] As shown in Figures 10(A) and (B), when a coin Ci, acting as foreign matter, falls onto the gate guide 104, the coin Ci slides forward parallel to the gate guide 104. If the foreign matter drop hole 110 is located in front of the coin Ci, the coin Ci passes through the foreign matter drop hole 110 and falls into the foreign matter duct 106. The coin Ci that falls into the foreign matter duct 106 slides forward through the duct and is discharged from the foreign matter outlet 7 (Figure 2) located in front of the foreign matter duct 106.

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11(A), if the banknote support section 105 is positioned in front of a coin Ci that has fallen onto the gate guide 104, the coin Ci may slide forward parallel to the gate guide 104 and then slide further forward on the banknote support section 105. In this case, the coin Ci sliding forward on the banknote support section 105 will collide with the rear end of the projection 111 provided at the front end of the banknote support section 105. At this point, the coin Ci will lose its balance and shift to either the left or right of the projection 111. Here, as shown in Figure 11(B), since the projection 111 is positioned to satisfy the above-mentioned condition (Z≦X), the coin Ci will fall through the foreign object drop hole 110 into the foreign object duct 106 without riding up onto the constricted wall section 106AL at the left end (or the constricted wall section 106AR at the right end). The coin Ci that falls into the foreign object duct 106 slides forward inside the foreign object duct 106 and is discharged from the foreign object outlet 7 (Figure 2) located at the front of the foreign object duct 106.

[0056] In this way, foreign objects that fall onto the gate guide 104 either fall directly through the foreign object drop hole 110 into the foreign object duct 106, or slide forward on the banknote support section 105, collide with the projection 111, and fall through the foreign object drop hole 110 into the foreign object duct 106, where they slide down and are discharged from the foreign object discharge port 7.

[0057] [1-5. Summary and Effects] As described above, in this embodiment, the banknote unit 8, which serves as a banknote processing device, is provided with a banknote slot 5 into which banknotes are inserted, a banknote storage section 101 that stores banknotes inserted from the banknote slot 5 in an upright position, and a foreign object duct 106 located below the banknote storage section 101 as a foreign object discharge section. Furthermore, at the bottom of the banknote storage section 101, there are provided a plurality of banknote support sections 105 that extend in the front-to-back direction of the banknote unit 8 so as to slope (downward) from the rear to the front of the banknote unit 8 and are spaced apart in the width direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction of the banknote unit 8, and foreign object drop holes 110 located on both sides of the banknote support sections 105 in the width direction and connected to the foreign object duct 106, and the width of the foreign object drop holes 110 is made larger than the diameter of the largest coin expected to be considered as foreign object. The banknote support portion 105 has a projection 111 at its front end, which is on the front side of the banknote unit 8, that protrudes upward toward the banknote unit 8.

[0058] Thus, in the banknote unit 8 of this embodiment, by providing a projection 111 that protrudes upward at the front end of the banknote support portion 105, foreign objects that slide along the banknote support portion 105 can collide with the projection 111 and fall through the foreign object drop hole 110 into the foreign object duct 106, thereby preventing foreign objects from accumulating on the banknote support portion 105. In this way, the banknote unit 8 according to this embodiment can remove foreign objects more reliably.

[0059] Furthermore, the foreign matter duct 106 has a bottom that slopes downward from the rear to the front of the banknote unit 8, and its front end is connected to the foreign matter discharge port 7. In addition, the foreign matter duct 106 has constricted wall portions 106AL and 106AR on the front side, which narrow the width of the foreign matter duct 106 as it approaches the front end. As a result, the foreign matter drop hole 110 located between the banknote support portion 105 located at one end (left end) in the width direction of the banknote storage section 101 and the constricted wall portion 106AL located outside the width direction of the banknote support portion 105, and the foreign matter drop hole 110 located between the banknote support portion 105 located at the other end (right end) in the width direction of the banknote storage section 101 and the constricted wall portion 106AL located outside the width direction of the banknote support portion 105, both narrow as they approach the front.

[0060] In the banknote unit 8, the projection 111 is positioned such that there is a gap between the rear end of the projection 111 and the constricted wall 106AL (106AR), which is located outside the projection 111 in the width direction, that is larger than the diameter of the largest diameter coin Ci, in order to prevent a coin, which is assumed to be a foreign object, from riding up onto the constricted wall 106AL (106AR) when it collides with the projection 111 and is displaced towards the constricted wall 106AL (106AR). In this way, the banknote unit 8 of this embodiment can prevent a situation in which a coin that slides on the banknote support parts 105 at both ends and collides with the projection 111 rides up onto the constricted wall parts 106AL and 106AR at both ends and becomes trapped.

[0061] For comparison, Figures 12(A) and (B) show a configuration in which the projection 111 on the banknote support portion 105 is omitted. As shown in Figures 12(A) and (B), when the projection 111 on the banknote support portion 105 is omitted, for example, a coin Ci that has slid down the left banknote support portion 105 may become lodged, straddling the left banknote support portion 105 and the constricted wall portion 106AL. In contrast to this comparison, the banknote unit 8 of this embodiment, by providing the projection 111, can cause foreign objects that have slid down the banknote support portion 105 to collide with the projection 111, shifting them to either the left or right, and allowing them to fall more reliably into the foreign object duct 106 through the foreign object drop hole 110.

[0062] [2. Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. This second embodiment is one in which the number of protrusions 111 provided on the banknote support portion 105 is reduced compared to the first embodiment. Therefore, only the protrusions 111 will be described here.

[0063] [2-1. Configuration of the banknote deposit section] Figures 13(A) and 13(B), corresponding to Figures 3(A) and 3(B), show the configuration of the banknote deposit section 100x according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 13(A), the banknote deposit section 100x has four banknote support sections 105, and projections 111 are provided only on the two banknote support sections 105 located at both ends in the width direction (left-right direction) (i.e., the leftmost banknote support section 105 and the rightmost banknote support section 105), while the projections 111 are omitted from the other banknote support sections 105.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, which corresponds to Figure 4, at the lower end of the bill press 112x, and at the lower end of the bill press 112, two recesses 112h are formed, each slightly larger than the protrusions 111, at two locations corresponding to the two protrusions 111, so that the bill press 112 does not interfere with the protrusions 111 when it slides.

[0065] [2-2. Summary and Effects] As explained in the first embodiment, if a coin slides forward on the two banknote support sections 105 located at both ends in the width direction (i.e., the left banknote support section 105 and the right banknote support section 105), without the projection 111, the coin may ride up onto the constricted wall section 106AL (106AR) and become stuck. In other words, if a coin slides forward on a banknote support section 105 other than the two banknote support sections 105 located at both ends in the width direction, even without the projection 111, the coin will not ride up onto the constricted wall section 106AL (106AR), but will shift to either the left or right of the banknote support section 105 and fall into the foreign object duct 106 through the foreign object drop hole 110.

[0066] For this reason, in the banknote deposit section 100x of the second embodiment, the projections 111 are provided only on the two banknote support sections 105 located at both ends in the width direction (i.e., the left banknote support section 105 and the right banknote support section 105). This configuration also provides almost the same effect as the first embodiment. Although it is possible that a coin might slide forward on a banknote support section 105 other than the two banknote support sections 105 located at both ends in the width direction and remain balanced on the banknote support section 105, this possibility is considered low in the banknote deposit section 100x because the width of the banknote support section 105 is sufficiently short compared to the diameter of the coin.

[0067] Furthermore, in the banknote deposit section 100x of the second embodiment, the number of recesses 112h formed at the lower end of the bill press 112 is also reduced, as the number of protrusions 111 has been reduced compared to the first embodiment. The bill press 112 is the part that comes into contact with the banknotes, and the fewer the number of recesses 112h, the lower the probability of jams (banknote jams) and stacking failures. In other words, the banknote deposit section 100x of the second embodiment can also reduce the probability of jams (banknote jams) and stacking failures compared to the first embodiment.

[0068] [3. Other Embodiments] [3-1. Other Embodiments 1] In the first and second embodiments described above, a projection 111, which is a plate-shaped member having the same width as the banknote support portion 105, is provided at the front end of the banknote support portion 105. However, the shape of the projection 111 may be other than a plate shape. For example, as shown in Figures 15(A), (B), and (C), the shape of the rear end of the projection 111 (i.e., the shape of the part that strikes foreign objects) may be a circular shape that bulges backward when viewed from above, or a tapered shape that points backward (for example, a triangular shape), rather than a flat surface. If it is a tapered shape, as shown in Figure 15(B), the tip may be located at the center of the projection 111 in the width direction, or as shown in Figure 15(C), the tip may be located at one end of the projection 111 in the width direction (specifically, the side furthest from the center of the foreign object duct 106 in the width direction).

[0069] If the shape of the rear end of the projection 111 is triangular as shown in Figure 15(C), foreign objects that strike the rear end of the projection 111 can be shifted toward the center in the width direction of the foreign object duct 106 and dropped into the foreign object drop hole 110. In this way, foreign objects can be discharged in a state that is even closer to the center in the width direction of the foreign object duct 106.

[0070] Furthermore, the projection 111 may be made not of a plate shape, but of other shapes, such as a round rod extending upward. Even if the shape of the projection 111 is other than a plate shape, it is desirable that the position of the rear end of the projection 111 (i.e., the position where it strikes foreign objects) be at a distance of X from the front end of the banknote support portion 105, as shown in Figure 5. On the other hand, the position of the front end of the projection 111 does not necessarily have to be at a distance of X from the rear end of the projection 111.

[0071] [3-2. Other Embodiments 2] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the front of the foreign matter duct 106 is assumed to have a tapered shape that narrows as it moves forward, but this is not limited to this, and the front of the foreign matter duct 106 does not have to have a tapered shape (i.e., the width of the foreign matter duct 106 may be constant).

[0072] Even in this case, by providing the projection 111, it is possible to prevent foreign objects that have slid over the banknote support portion 105 from accumulating on the front end side of the banknote support portion 105, thus enabling more reliable removal of foreign objects compared to the case without the projection 111.

[0073] [3-3. Other Embodiments 3] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a recess 112h slightly larger than the projection 111 is formed at the lower end of the bill press 112 so that the bill press 112 does not interfere with the projection 111 when the bill press 112 moves to the position closest to the front frame 102.

[0074] Here, for example, the sliding range of the bill press 112 may be set such that even when the bill press 112 moves to the position closest to the front frame 102, the bill press 112 is positioned behind the projection 111. In this way, the bill press 112 will not interfere with the projection 111 regardless of its position, and the recess 112h can be removed from the bill press 112. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0075] [3-4. Other Embodiments 4] In the first and second embodiments described above, the front ends of the foreign matter duct 106 in the width direction were made into constricted wall portions 106AL and 106AR. However, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, only the left end (or right end) of the front end of the foreign matter duct 106 in the width direction may be made into a constricted wall portion 106AL (106AR).

[0076] [3-5. Other Embodiments 5] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the present invention was applied to a banknote deposit section 100 (100x) having a deposit function. However, the invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a banknote deposit and withdrawal section that has a withdrawal function in addition to a deposit function, as long as it has a configuration similar to the banknote deposit section 100 (100x) that has a banknote support section at the bottom of the banknote storage section.

[0077] [3-6. Other Embodiments 6] Furthermore, in each of the embodiments described above, the present invention was applied to a banknote unit 8 as a banknote processing device and a deposit / withdrawal machine 1 as a banknote handling device having the banknote unit 8. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and can also be applied to banknote processing devices that have a banknote support portion at the bottom of the banknote storage portion, which have a partially different configuration from the banknote unit 8, or to banknote handling devices that have a partially different configuration from the deposit / withdrawal machine 1 (for example, deposit machines).

[0078] Furthermore, while the present invention was applied to a banknote unit 8 and a deposit / withdrawal machine 1 in the embodiments described above, it is not limited to these, and the present invention can also be applied to various media processing devices and media handling devices that handle paper-like media other than banknotes (for example, tickets and vouchers).

[0079] [3-7. Other Embodiments 7] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the embodiments described above, or embodiments that extract some of them. [Industrial applicability]

[0080] This invention can be used, for example, in a banknote processing device that handles banknotes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1... Deposit / withdrawal machine, 2... Device housing, 5... Banknote slot, 7... Foreign object discharge port, 8... Banknote unit, 100, 100x... Banknote deposit section, 101... Banknote storage section, 102... Front frame, 103... Guide, 104... Gate guide, 105... Banknote support section, 106... Foreign object duct, 106AL, 106AR... Constricted wall section, 110... Foreign object drop hole, 111... Protrusion, 112, 112x... Bill press, 112h... Recess, Bi... Banknote, Ci... Coin.

Claims

1. The banknote slot and A banknote storage section for storing banknotes inserted through the banknote slot, A foreign object discharge section provided below the banknote storage section and Equipped with, The bottom of the banknote storage section is provided with a plurality of banknote support sections that extend in the front-to-back direction of the device so as to be inclined from the rear to the front of the device and are spaced apart in the width direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction of the device, and foreign object drop holes located on both sides of the banknote support sections in the width direction and connected to the foreign object discharge section. The width of the aforementioned foreign object drop hole is larger than the diameter of the largest coin that could be considered a foreign object. The aforementioned banknote support section is The device has a projection on the front side that protrudes upward toward the device, The aforementioned foreign matter discharge unit is The device is configured to discharge foreign matter from its front end, and the device has a constricted wall portion on the front side that narrows the width of the foreign matter discharge portion as it approaches the front end of the foreign matter discharge portion. The projection is positioned such that there is a gap between the rear end of the projection, which is the rear end of the device, and the constricted wall portion, which is located outside the projection in the width direction, that is larger than the diameter of the largest coin assumed to be the foreign object. A banknote processing device characterized by the following features.

2. Of the plurality of banknote support portions, the banknote support portion located at one end in the width direction and the banknote support portion located at the other end in the width direction are provided with the projection. The banknote processing device according to feature 1.

3. A banknote slot, A banknote storage section for storing banknotes inserted through the banknote slot, A foreign object discharge section provided below the banknote storage section and Equipped with, The bottom of the banknote storage section is provided with a plurality of banknote support sections that extend in the front-to-back direction of the device so as to be inclined from the rear to the front of the device and are spaced apart in the width direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction of the device, and foreign object drop holes located on both sides of the banknote support sections in the width direction and connected to the foreign object discharge section. The width of the aforementioned foreign object drop hole is larger than the diameter of the largest coin that could be considered a foreign object. The aforementioned banknote support section is The device has a projection on the front side that protrudes upward toward the device, The banknote storage section is further equipped with a bill press that is movable in the front-rear direction of the device, When the bill press is located furthest forward within the banknote storage section of the device, the projection is positioned such that its rear end, which is the rear end of the device, does not protrude further rearward than the rear surface of the bill press, which is the rear surface of the device. At the lower end of the bill press, at a position corresponding to the projection, a recess is provided that is larger than the projection when viewed from the front-to-back direction of the device and avoids the projection. A banknote processing device characterized by the following features.

4. A banknote slot, A banknote storage section for storing banknotes inserted through the banknote slot, A foreign object discharge section provided below the banknote storage section and Equipped with, The bottom of the banknote storage section is provided with a plurality of banknote support sections that extend in the front-to-back direction of the device so as to be inclined from the rear to the front of the device and are spaced apart in the width direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction of the device, and foreign object drop holes located on both sides of the banknote support sections in the width direction and connected to the foreign object discharge section. The width of the aforementioned foreign object drop hole is larger than the diameter of the largest coin that could be considered a foreign object. The aforementioned banknote support section is The device has a projection on the front side that protrudes upward toward the device, The rear end of the projection, which is the rear end of the device, has a circular shape that bulges out towards the rear of the device when viewed from above. A banknote processing device characterized by the following features.

5. A banknote slot, A banknote storage section for storing banknotes inserted through the banknote slot, A foreign object discharge section provided below the banknote storage section and Equipped with, The bottom of the banknote storage section is provided with a plurality of banknote support sections that extend in the front-to-back direction of the device so as to be inclined from the rear to the front of the device and are spaced apart in the width direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction of the device, and foreign object drop holes located on both sides of the banknote support sections in the width direction and connected to the foreign object discharge section. The width of the aforementioned foreign object drop hole is larger than the diameter of the largest coin that could be considered a foreign object. The aforementioned banknote support section is The device has a projection on the front side that protrudes upward toward the device, The rear end of the projection, which is the rear end of the device, has a tapered shape that is pointed towards the rear of the device when viewed from above. A banknote processing device characterized by the following features.

Images