Media storage unit and media processing unit

Abstract

To appropriately store a medium in each of spaces partitioned by displacing partition plates.SOLUTION: A reject collection container 8 of a banknote processing device 1 is provided with a first regulating body 41 at a front end of a partition plate main body 31 of a partition plate 26, and is provided with a second regulating body 42 on a front side of the first regulating body 41 via a front end inclined part 40. In the reject collection container 8, even if banknotes placed in a placement location 26U get over the first regulating body 41, the front end is brought into contact with the second regulating body 42, and is sufficiently separated from the proximity of a base of a tongue 18B of a tongue roller 18. As a result, when the reject collection container 8 rotates the partition plate 26 from a reject position to a collection position, a force acting on the banknotes due to friction with the tongue piece 18B is suppressed to a low level, and the banknotes can be smoothly rotated to the collection position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a media storage and a media processing device, and is suitable for application to a change system used in a cash register in a retail store such as a supermarket or a convenience store.

Background Art

[0002] In a change system, a combination of a cash register connected to a POS (Point Of Sales) system or the like and a change machine that performs deposit and withdrawal processing of bills and coins is becoming popular. This change machine incorporates, for example, a control unit that comprehensively controls the whole, a bill processing device that processes bills, a coin processing device that processes coins, and the like.

[0003] Among these, the bill processing device is provided with, for example, a deposit and withdrawal unit that conducts the transfer of bills, a conveyance unit that conveys bills, a discrimination unit that discriminates bills, a storage that stores reusable bills, a reject bin that stores reject bills that should not be reused, a collection bin that stores bills to be collected, and the like. As a bill processing device, one has been proposed in which a collection bin and a reject bin are integrated into a reject collection bin, and the reject collection bin is configured to be easily attached to and detached from the device body (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] This reject collection bin has a movable partition plate disposed in the housing, with the upper side of the partition plate serving as a reject bin and the lower side of the partition plate serving as a collection bin. The reject collection bin has only one set of a discharge mechanism for discharging bills, and by displacing the partition plate, the storage destination of the bills discharged from the discharge mechanism can be easily switched between the reject bin and the collection bin. As a result, the bill processing device can achieve miniaturization and simplification of the device configuration, and can easily take out the bills to be collected and the reject bills and handle them together.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-17013 (paragraph

[0033] and Figure 2, etc.) [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, in the aforementioned reject collection unit, if a rejected banknote stored in the upper part of the divider plate protrudes from its proper storage location, the rejected banknote may interfere with other surrounding components, potentially preventing the divider plate from being displaced to its correct position. In such cases, the reject collection unit has the problem that it may not be able to properly store rejected banknotes or banknotes to be collected in the reject compartment above the divider plate and the collection compartment below it.

[0007] This invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a media storage unit and a media processing unit that can appropriately store media in each space separated by a displaceable partition plate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve these problems, the media storage unit of the present invention comprises a housing having a storage space inside for storing paper-leaf-shaped media in an accumulated state along the accumulation direction; a discharge section for discharging the media into the storage space; a partition plate that divides the storage space into a first storage space on the opposite side of the accumulation direction and a second storage space on the side of the accumulation direction, with a placement area provided on the surface of the surface on the side of the accumulation direction for placing the media; and a first position on the partition plate that allows the media discharged from the discharge section to advance into the first storage space, and a position located on the side of the first position that allows the media discharged from the discharge section to advance into the second storage space. The system includes a partition plate displacement section that displaces the partition plate to a second position, a rotating body having one or more elastically deformable elastic members in a direction away from the central axis along the width direction perpendicular to the accumulation direction, which rotates around the central axis to assist in the accumulation of media released into the storage space, a first restricting body provided on the release side of the placement location on the side of the partition plate opposite to the accumulation direction, which restricts the range of movement of the media placed on the placement location toward the release side, and a second restricting body provided on the release side of the first restricting body on the side of the partition plate opposite to the accumulation direction, which restricts the range of movement of the media placed on the placement location toward the release side.

[0009] Furthermore, the media processing apparatus of the present invention includes a transport unit for transporting paper-like media and a media storage unit for storing the media. The media storage unit has a housing having a storage space inside for storing the media in an accumulated state along the accumulation direction, a discharge unit for discharging the media into the storage space, a partition plate that divides the storage space into a first storage space on the opposite side of the accumulation direction and a second storage space on the accumulation direction side, and has a placement area on the surface on the accumulation direction side for placing the media, and the partition plate has a first position for advancing the media discharged from the discharge unit into the first storage space, and a position located on the side opposite to the accumulation direction from the first position for discharging from the discharge unit. The device includes a partition plate displacement section that displaces the media to a second position that advances the media into the second storage space, a rotating body having one or more elastically deformable elastic members in a direction away from the central axis along the width direction perpendicular to the accumulation direction, which rotates around the central axis to assist in the accumulation of media released into the storage space, a first restricting body provided on the release side of the placement location on the side of the partition plate opposite to the accumulation direction, which restricts the range of movement of the media placed on the placement location toward the release side, and a second restricting body provided on the release side of the first restricting body on the side of the partition plate opposite to the accumulation direction, which restricts the range of movement of the media placed on the placement location toward the release side.

[0010] In this invention, even if the media released from the discharge section is placed on the placement location with the partition plate in the second position, and the media is displaced toward the discharge section and crosses the first restricting body, the range of movement is restricted by the second restricting body. Therefore, in this invention, when displacing the partition plate from the second position to the first position, the force acting on the media placed on the placement location from the elastic member of the rotating body is avoided to be excessive, and the partition plate can be displaced smoothly. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a media storage unit and a media processing unit that can appropriately store media in each space partitioned by a displaceable partition plate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1]This is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a banknote processing device. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a banknote processing device. [Figure 3] This is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the reject collection unit. [Figure 4] This is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the reject collection unit. [Figure 5] This is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the partition plates. [Figure 6] This is a simplified side view showing a magnified portion of the reject collection area. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a hypothetical reject recovery unit with the second regulatory body omitted from the partition plate. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a hypothetical reject recovery unit with the position of the second restricting element in the partition plate changed. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a hypothetical reject recovery unit with the position of the second restricting element in the partition plate changed. [Figure 10] This is a schematic plan view showing banknotes stored on a partition plate in a rejected banknote collection cabinet. [Figure 11] This is a schematic plan view showing the state in which banknotes stored on a partition plate in a rejected banknote collection unit have become skewed. [Figure 12] This is a schematic side view showing how banknotes stored on a partition plate in a rejected banknote collection unit interfere with the casing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The embodiments for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] [1. Configuration of a banknote processing device] As shown in the appearance in FIG. 1, the banknote processing device 1 as a media processing device is incorporated in a POS register (not shown), and performs various processes related to banknotes, which are sheet-like media, based on the control of a centralized control unit provided in the POS register. This POS register is, for example, a cash register installed at the cashier's desk (so-called register) of a retail store such as a supermarket or a convenience store, and is operated by a cashier when calculating the goods that a customer wants to purchase. Hereinafter, the side facing the cashier (hereinafter also referred to as the user) of the banknote processing device 1 and the opposite side thereof are defined as the front and the rear, respectively, and the left, right, top, and bottom as viewed from the user will be further defined for explanation.

[0015] As shown in the schematic side view in FIG. 2, the banknote processing device 1 has a control unit 3, a deposit unit 4, a transport unit 5, a recognition unit 6, a storage 7 (7A, 7B, and 7C), and a reject collection bin 8, etc. inside the banknote processing device housing 2. The control unit 3 is mainly composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown, and reads and executes various programs such as a change disbursement program from a memory such as a flash memory to centrally control the banknote processing device 1 and perform various processes such as deposit processing and withdrawal processing.

[0016] The deposit unit 4 is located at the upper front inside the banknote processing device 1. When a banknote is deposited by the user (cashier), this deposit unit 4 takes in the banknote while separating it one by one and sequentially feeds it to the transport unit 5. The transport unit 5 is composed of a plurality of rollers, belts, and transport guides not shown, and transports banknotes along a transport path. Also, a branch point where a plurality of transport paths are connected is provided in the transport unit 5, and the progress path of the banknote is switched based on the control of the control unit 3.

[0017] The recognition unit 6 is incorporated in the transport path of the transport unit 5, and while transporting the banknote, uses an optical element, a magnetic detection element, etc. to recognize the denomination, authenticity, integrity (whether it is damaged or not), and transport state of the banknote, and notifies the control unit 3 of the discrimination result. In response to this, the control unit 3 determines the transport destination of the banknote based on the obtained discrimination result.

[0018] Each storage unit 7 has a storage space for storing banknotes in a stacked state, as well as a separation and stacking section for separating and stacking banknotes. Each storage unit 7 (7A, 7B, and 7C) is assigned a specific denomination of banknotes to be stored. When the storage unit 7 receives banknotes from the transport unit 5 that the recognition unit 6 and control unit 3 have determined to be undamaged and reusable, it stacks and stores these banknotes in its internal storage space. When the storage unit 7 receives an instruction from the control unit 3 to dispense banknotes, it separates the stacked banknotes one by one, dispenses them, and hands them over to the transport unit 5 for transport.

[0019] The reject collection unit 8 is configured to be easily attached to and detached from the banknote processing unit housing 2. This reject collection unit 8 has a storage space inside for accumulating and storing banknotes, and is designed to store rejected banknotes and collected banknotes separately (details will be described later). Incidentally, rejected banknotes are those that the recognition unit 6 and control unit 3 have determined not to be reused, such as banknotes that are severely damaged or banknotes that have been identified as counterfeit. Collected banknotes are those that have been transported from the storage unit 7 by the transport unit 5, for example, when a portion of sales proceeds are collected at a retail store.

[0020] [2. Configuration of the Reject Collection Unit] Next, the detailed configuration of the reject collection unit 8 will be described. As shown in the general shape in Figures 1 and 2, the reject collection unit 8 is configured as a rectangular parallelepiped, being long in the left-right direction and slightly shorter in the front-back direction. Also, as shown in the schematic side view in Figure 3(A), the reject collection unit 8 has a storage space 12 formed inside a rectangular parallelepiped housing 11, and various parts are attached to the housing 11.

[0021] A through-hole 11H is drilled near the top edge of the front of the casing 11, extending in the front-to-back direction. The length of this through-hole 11H in the vertical direction is sufficiently larger than the thickness of the banknote, and the length in the horizontal direction is slightly longer than the length of the long side of the banknote. As a result, the through-hole 11H connects the storage space 12 inside the casing 11 with the external space, and allows the banknote to pass through with its long side aligned in the horizontal direction.

[0022] A discharge section 13 is provided around the through-hole 11H to release banknotes into the storage space 12. This discharge section 13 consists of an upper rotating shaft 14, a lower rotating shaft 15, two upper rollers 16, two lower rollers 17, and five tongue-shaped rollers 18, etc. Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing the casing 11 with the upper plate and other parts above the storage space 12 omitted.

[0023] The upper rotation shaft 14, which serves as the second rotation axis, is an elongated cylindrical member oriented in the left-right direction and is rotatably supported by a part of the housing 11 above the through hole 11H. This upper rotation shaft 14 rotates clockwise in Figure 3(A) by a driving force supplied from a predetermined integrated motor (not shown) provided in the banknote processing device housing 2. The lower rotation shaft 15 is an elongated cylindrical member oriented in the left-right direction, similar to the upper rotation shaft 14, and is rotatably supported by a part of the housing 11 below the through hole 11H. This lower rotation shaft 15 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 3(A) by a driving force supplied from a predetermined integrated motor (not shown) provided in the banknote processing device housing 2.

[0024] The upper roller 16 (Figure 3(A)), which serves as the second roller, is formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction. Its central portion is inserted through the upper rotation shaft 14 and rotates integrally with the upper rotation shaft 14. The upper roller 16 is positioned slightly outward from the center in the left-right direction of the housing 11, with its lower end exposed within the through hole 11H. The lower roller 17, which serves as the first roller, is also formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, similar to the upper roller 16. Its central portion is inserted through the lower rotation shaft 15 and rotates integrally with the lower rotation shaft 15. The lower roller 17 is positioned slightly outward from the center in the left-right direction of the housing 11, opposite to the upper roller 16, with its upper end exposed within the through hole 11H and in contact with the upper roller 16.

[0025] With this configuration, when the upper roller 16 and lower roller 17 are rotating, the discharge unit 13, upon receiving banknotes from the transport unit 5 (Figures 1 and 2), grips the banknotes and applies a force to move them backward, causing them to pass through the through-hole 11H and be discharged into the storage space 12. At this time, the banknotes will travel diagonally downward and backward within the storage space 12, with a virtual discharge line X13, which is the common tangent of the upper roller 16 and the lower roller 17, as their ideal trajectory.

[0026] Each tongue roller 18, as a rotating body, is composed of a central roller portion 18A and six tongues 18B. The central roller portion 18A is formed in a cylindrical shape that is slightly smaller than the lower roller 17, and is inserted through the lower rotation shaft 15 at its center, rotating integrally with the lower rotation shaft 15. Each tongue 18B, as an elastic member, is made of a flexible material and is formed in an elongated columnar or rod shape radiating from the center of the central roller portion 18A. One tongue roller 18 is positioned between the two lower rollers 17, and two tongue rollers are positioned on each of the left and right outer sides of each lower roller 17, spaced apart from each other. The tongues 18B of the tongue roller 18 extend further than the outer circumferential surface of the lower roller 17 relative to the lower rotation shaft 15, and in their natural state, they protrude significantly from the housing 11 into the storage space 12 and into the space outside, and elastically deform upon contact with other parts or banknotes.

[0027] When a banknote is released into the storage space 12 by the upper roller 16 and the lower roller 17, if a portion of the banknote is located within the rotational trajectory of the tongue roller 18B, the tongue roller 18B will strike the banknote generally downwards, and further pull the banknote slightly forward by utilizing the friction between the tongue roller 18B and the banknote. The tongue roller 18 is sometimes referred to as a vane wheel when considering its effect on the banknotes accumulated in the storage space 12.

[0028] Incidentally, the housing 11 has recesses or notches of the corresponding shape formed in the locations corresponding to the upper roller 16, the lower roller 17, and the tongue roller 18, respectively, so as not to hinder their rotation.

[0029] Furthermore, the storage space 12 (Figure 3(A)) is provided with a stage 21, a stage spring 22, a stage guide 23, and the like. The stage 21 is a thin plate in the vertical direction, and its upper surface, the stage mounting surface 21S, is formed to be almost flat. The stage spring 22 is provided between the lower surface of the stage 21 and the bottom of the inner surface of the housing 11, and applies an upward elastic force to the stage 21.

[0030] The stage guide 23 consists of vertically oriented rail components provided on the left and right inner surfaces of the housing 11, and guide components that are slidable relative to the rail components and attached to both the left and right ends of the stage 21. This stage guide 23 allows the stage 21 to move smoothly in the vertical direction while maintaining the stage mounting surface 21S of the stage 21 in a nearly horizontal position.

[0031] With this configuration, when a banknote is released from the discharge section 13, the reject collection unit 8 uses the tongue 18B of the tongue roller 18 to strike the banknote onto the stage 21 and pull it forward, placing it on the stage mounting surface 21S with the paper surface facing up and down. The reject collection unit 8 repeats this operation, sequentially stacking and accumulating banknotes on the stage mounting surface 21S. In other words, the tongue roller 18 assists in the accumulation of banknotes released into the storage space 12 onto the stage mounting surface 21S. At this time, the stage 21 gradually descends downwards as the stage spring 22 is compressed according to the mass of the accumulated banknotes. For the sake of explanation, the upward direction will be referred to as the accumulation direction, and the downward direction will be referred to as the anti-accumulation direction. Furthermore, the left and right directions perpendicular to the upward direction, which is the accumulation direction, will be referred to as the width direction.

[0032] In addition, the reject collection unit 8 is provided with a partition plate pivot shaft 25, a partition plate 26, and a partition plate pivot spring 27 in the upper part of the storage space 12. The partition plate pivot shaft 25 is a cylindrical member with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and is supported by the housing 11 on the rear upper side of the storage space 12.

[0033] The partition plate 26 is constructed as a thin plate in the vertical direction, and as shown in Figure 4, it has multiple notches and protrusions on various parts (details will be described later). In addition, near the rear end of the partition plate 26 (Figure 3(A)), there are multiple axial holes 26H, which are circular holes that penetrate in the left-right direction, provided in the portion that protrudes downward. Each axial hole 26H is inserted through the partition plate pivot shaft 25.

[0034] Therefore, the partition plate 26 can rotate counterclockwise or clockwise around the partition plate pivot axis 25 as shown in Figure 3(A). For example, when the partition plate 26 is rotated as far as clockwise, as shown in Figure 3, its front end can be positioned above the through hole 11H, and its lower surface can be positioned slightly above the virtual discharge line X13. Hereinafter, this position of the partition plate 26 will be referred to as the recovery position or the first position.

[0035] When the partition plate 26 is in the collection position, the reject collection unit 8 can place the banknotes released from the discharge unit 13 into the storage space 12 onto the stage 21 and accumulate them. Hereinafter, the part of the storage space 12 that is below the partition plate 26 and above the stage 21 will be referred to as the collection storage space 12A or the first storage space. This collection storage space 12A is intended to store banknotes (hereinafter referred to as collected banknotes) that are transported from the storage unit 7 by the transport unit 5, for example, when collecting banknotes stored in the storage unit 7.

[0036] On the other hand, when the partition plate 26 is rotated as far as possible counterclockwise, as shown in Figure 3(B), which corresponds to a portion of Figure 3(A), its front end can be positioned below the through hole 11H, and its upper surface can be positioned slightly below the virtual discharge line X13. Hereinafter, this position of the partition plate 26 will be referred to as the reject position or the second position.

[0037] When the partition plate 26 is in the reject position, the reject collection unit 8 can place the banknotes released from the discharge unit 13 into the storage space 12 onto the partition plate 26 and accumulate them. Hereinafter, the portion of the storage space 12 above the partition plate 26 will be referred to as the reject storage space 12B or the second storage space. This reject storage space 12B is intended to store rejected banknotes that have been recognized as unusable by the recognition unit 6 and transported by the transport unit 5. The area above the partition plate 26 where rejected banknotes should be placed will be referred to as the placement area 26U.

[0038] The partition plate rotation spring 27 is, for example, a torsion spring, with a cylindrical portion inserted through the partition plate rotation shaft 25, one end located below the partition plate 26, and the other end attached to the housing 11. This partition plate rotation spring 27 acts a force on the partition plate 26 that causes it to rotate counterclockwise due to elastic deformation, attempting to displace it to the recovery position (Figure 3(A)). For the sake of explanation, the partition plate rotation shaft 25 and the partition plate rotation spring 27 will be collectively referred to as the partition plate displacement part below.

[0039] Meanwhile, the banknote processing device 1 (Figure 2) is provided with a partition plate drive unit 29 located adjacent to the upper right end of the rear surface of the reject collection compartment 8. This partition plate drive unit 29 includes a predetermined solenoid, a displacement member that moves in the front-rear direction, and a link mechanism (none of which are shown), and can displace the displacement member forward or backward based on the control of the control unit 3. Furthermore, an engagement portion of a predetermined shape is provided at the front end of the displacement member.

[0040] On the other hand, the partition plate 26 of the reject collection unit 8 (Figure 3) is provided with an engaging portion (described later) of a predetermined shape near the lower part of its rear end. In addition, holes, recesses, etc. (not shown) are appropriately formed near the engaging portion in the housing 11 for inserting the displacement member of the partition plate drive unit 29, etc. Therefore, when the reject collection unit 8 is mounted in the banknote processing unit housing 2, the engaging portion of the partition plate 26 engages with the engaging portion of the partition plate drive unit 29 (Figure 2), and can be linked with the displacement member of the partition plate drive unit 29.

[0041] When the banknote processing device 1 (Figure 2) has the reject collection unit 8 installed, displacing the displacement member of the partition plate drive unit 29 to the rearward side pulls the engaged portion provided on the partition plate 26 of the reject collection unit 8 (Figure 3) in the rearward direction. As a result, the reject collection unit 8 rotates the partition plate 26 clockwise and displaces it to the reject position (Figure 3(B)). In this reject position, the partition plate 26 is inclined such that the front side is lower than the rear side.

[0042] Furthermore, when the banknote processing device 1 (Figure 2) has the reject collection unit 8 installed, displacing the displacement member of the partition plate drive unit 29 forward pushes the engaged portion provided on the partition plate 26 of the reject collection unit 8 (Figure 3) forward. The elastic force of the partition plate rotation spring 27 (Figure 3) also acts on the partition plate 26. As a result, the reject collection unit 8 rotates the partition plate 26 counterclockwise and displaces it to the collection position (Figure 3(A)). In this collection position, the partition plate 26 is inclined so that the front side is higher than the rear side.

[0043] Thus, when the partition plate 26 is positioned in the collection position (Figure 3(A)), the reject collection box 8 functions as a collection box that stores the collected banknotes in the collection storage space 12A. Also, when the partition plate 26 is positioned in the reject position (Figure 3(B)), the reject collection box 8 functions as a reject box that stores the rejected banknotes in the reject storage space 12B.

[0044] [3. Configuration of partition plates and functions of each part] Next, the detailed configuration of the partition plate 26 will be described. As shown in the perspective view in Figure 5, the partition plate 26 is constructed, for example, by cutting a thin steel plate into a predetermined shape and bending each part as appropriate, and has sufficient rigidity so as not to deform easily.

[0045] The partition plate 26 is centered around the partition plate body 31. The partition plate body 31 is long in the left-right direction, short in the front-back direction, and thin in the up-down direction, forming a plate shape. The partition plate mounting surface 31S, which is the upper surface of the partition plate body 31, and its lower surface are both formed as flat planes. The partition plate body 31 has multiple protrusions formed in the front and upper direction from the front end line F1 of the body, which represents its front end (details will be described later). This prevents the front end of banknotes placed on the partition plate mounting surface 31S from protruding beyond the front end line F1 of the body.

[0046] Near the rear end of the partition plate body 31, four pivot support portions 32 are erected at locations spaced apart in the left-right direction, with a portion of each portion bent downward. Each pivot support portion 32 has a circular shaft hole 26H that penetrates in the left-right direction, drilled at positions coaxial with each other. As described above, the partition plate pivot shaft 25 (Figure 3) is inserted through these shaft holes 26H.

[0047] An engaging portion 33 is provided on the rear lower side of the right end of the partition plate body 31. As described above, this engaging portion 33 engages with an engaging portion (not shown) provided on the displacement member of the partition plate drive unit 29 (Figure 2). A right restricting plate 34 is erected on the front side of the right end of the partition plate body 31, facing upward. This right restricting plate 34 limits the range in which banknotes (i.e., rejected banknotes) placed on the partition plate mounting surface 31S can be displaced to the right.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, on the front end of the partition plate body 31, notches 35 and 36 are formed, respectively, that cut toward the rear in the left-right direction, corresponding to the tongue rollers 18. The notches 35 are formed at three locations on the front end of the partition plate body 31, corresponding to the three tongue rollers 18 located towards the center in the left-right direction. These notches 35 reduce the force that acts on the partition plate 26 from the tongues 18B when the tongue rollers 18 rotate.

[0049] The notches 36 are formed at two locations on the front end of the partition plate body 31, corresponding to the two tongue rollers 18 located on both the left and right outer sides. Similar to the notches 35, the notches 36 reduce the force acting on the partition plate 26 from the tongue rollers 18B when the tongue rollers 18 rotate. The rear end of the notches 36 reaches the rear end line F2 of the notches, which is behind the front end line F1 of the main body, and an end protection projection 37 is erected from this rear end in a forward-sloping upward direction. This end protection projection 37 prevents the ends of banknotes (rejected banknotes) placed on the partition plate mounting surface 31S from getting caught on the inner surface of the notches 36, etc. Incidentally, in the partition plate 26, when banknotes are placed on the mounting location 26U on the partition plate mounting surface 31S, it is assumed that the banknotes will be placed with the end protection projection 37 resting on top of them.

[0050] Furthermore, on the front end side of the partition plate body 31, multiple front end inclined sections 40 and two first restricting bodies 41 are erected in a forward-upward direction from the front end line F1 of the body. Of these, two first restricting bodies 41 are provided at locations corresponding to the upper roller 16 and the lower roller 17 in the left-right direction, as shown in Figure 4. Each front end inclined section 40 is provided on the front end side of the partition plate body 31, in a portion other than the cut sections 35 and 36 and the first restricting bodies 41. Both the upper and lower surfaces of these front end inclined sections 40 are formed flat and are inclined at a relatively small angle with respect to the partition plate mounting surface 31S.

[0051] In the reject collection unit 8, with the partition plate 26 in the collection position (Figure 3(A)), it is ideal for the banknotes released from the discharge unit 13 to travel along a virtual discharge line X13, which corresponds to the design trajectory. However, in the actual reject collection unit 8, the banknotes released from the discharge unit 13 may deviate from the virtual discharge line X13 due to various factors, and in particular, if they deviate upward from the virtual discharge line X13 relatively far forward, they may collide with the front end of the partition plate 26 and cause a jam.

[0052] In this case, it is conceivable to prevent banknotes from colliding with the partition plate 26 by pulling it upward from the virtual discharge line X13. However, in the reject collection unit 8, due to various constraints such as the vertical size of the housing 11, the vertical length of the collection storage space 12A, and the resulting vertical position of the discharge section 13, it is difficult to position the partition plate 26 higher in the housing 11 than it is currently.

[0053] Therefore, the partition plate 26 is provided with a front end inclined portion 40 that slopes diagonally upward and forward from the front end of the partition plate body 31, thereby preventing banknotes released from the discharge section 13 from colliding with and getting stuck on the front end of the partition plate 26. In this case, the partition plate 26 can guide such banknotes diagonally downward and backward along the front end inclined portion 40 and the lower surface of the partition plate body 31.

[0054] Figure 6 shows an enlarged view of the area near the front end of the partition plate 26 and the area near the discharge section 13 in Figure 3. In Figure 6, the virtual discharge line X13, which is the common tangent to the upper roller 16 and the lower roller 17 of the discharge section 13, corresponds to the ideal trajectory that the banknotes discharged from the discharge section 13 should follow, as described above for Figure 3(A). The virtual straight line X31 shown in Figure 6 corresponds to a virtual plane that is a virtual extension of the partition plate mounting surface 31S of the partition plate body 31. This virtual straight line X31 is inclined to descend as it moves forward.

[0055] The first restricting body 41 has a flat, planar surface on its rear upper surface, i.e., the first restricting surface 41S which is the surface that comes into contact with the banknotes placed on the partition plate mounting surface 31S. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first restricting body 41 is inclined at a larger angle than the front inclined portion 40 with respect to a virtual plane (i.e., a virtual straight line X31) that is a virtual extension of the partition plate mounting surface 31S of the partition plate body 31. However, the angle α (Figure 6) between the first restricting surface 41S of the first restricting body 41 and the partition plate mounting surface 31S is an obtuse angle greater than 90 degrees.

[0056] Furthermore, among the multiple front end inclined portions 40, at two locations on the left and right sides, between the notches 35 and 36, that is, at locations that are outward in the left-right direction relative to each of the two first restricting bodies 41, second restricting bodies 42 are erected facing upward. When the partition plate 26 is in the reject position (Figures 3(B) and 6), the second restricting surface 42S, which is the rear surface of the second restricting body 42, faces almost directly backward. Therefore, in Figure 6, the virtual straight line X42, which corresponds to a virtual plane that is virtually extended from this second restricting surface 42S, is a straight line that is almost aligned in the vertical direction. Consequently, the angle between the second restricting body 42 and the partition plate mounting surface 31S, that is, the angle β between the virtual straight line X42 and the virtual straight line X31 (Figure 6), is an acute angle less than 90 degrees.

[0057] Furthermore, the lower end of the second restrictor 42 is located diagonally upward and forward of the front end line F1 of the main body at the front end inclined portion 40. In other words, the lower end of the second restrictor 42 is located slightly above the virtual straight line X31. Moreover, the upper end (i.e., the end on the accumulation direction side) of the second restrictor 42 is located below the first upper end tangent X17 (Figure 6). This first upper end tangent X17 is a tangent line that touches the outer circumferential surface of the lower roller 17 and is a virtual straight line that passes through the upper end of the first restrictor 41.

[0058] Thus, in addition to the first restricting body 41 provided on the front end line F1 of the main body portion, which is the front end of the main body portion 31 of the partition plate 26, a second restricting body 42 is provided on the front end inclined portion 40, in front of the first restricting body, that is, on the side closer to the discharge portion 13.

[0059] [4. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, when a banknote is transported by the transport unit 5, the reject collection unit 8 of the banknote processing device 1 according to this embodiment releases the banknote into the storage space 12 using the discharge unit 13. At this time, if the partition plate 26 is in the collection position (Figure 3(A)), the reject collection unit 8 stores the collected banknote in the collection storage space 12A, and if the partition plate 26 is in the reject position (Figure 3(B)), the reject banknote is stored in the reject storage space 12B.

[0060] In particular, when the partition plate 26 is in the reject position (Figures 3(B) and 6), the reject collection unit 8 places the banknotes discharged from the discharge section 13 on the placement area 26U on the partition plate placement surface 31S, and restricts the forward movement range of the banknotes with the first restricting body 41.

[0061] Here, as a comparison to the reject recovery unit 8, we assume a hypothetical reject recovery unit 108, as shown in Figure 7, which corresponds to Figure 3(B). This reject recovery unit 108 is provided with a partition plate 126 in place of the partition plate 26. This partition plate 126 has a configuration in which the second restricting body 42 is omitted from the partition plate 26 in this embodiment.

[0062] In this virtual reject collection unit 108, if a banknote placed on the placement area 126U overcomes the first restricting body 41 for any reason, the banknote is pulled forward by the tongue 18B of the tongue roller 18 and displaced to a position where its front end contacts the inner surface of the housing 11. At this time, the portion of the banknote near its front end comes into contact with the base of the tongue 18B of the tongue roller 18. In this case, when the reject collection unit 108 attempts to rotate the partition plate 126 from the reject position to the collection position (Figure 3(A)), the force acting on the banknote due to friction with the tongue 18B may be greater than the force acting by the partition plate drive unit 29 and the partition plate rotation spring 27. In other words, in the reject collection unit 108, there is a risk that the banknote that has overcome the first restricting body 41 may prevent the partition plate 126 from rotating to the collection position.

[0063] In contrast, in the reject collection unit 8 according to this embodiment (Figures 3 to 6), a second restrictor 42 is provided in front of the first restrictor 41 on the partition plate 26. As a result, even if a banknote placed on the placement area 26U overtakes the first restrictor 41 for some reason, the reject collection unit 8 can keep the banknote in a position where its front end is in contact with the second restrictor 42, that is, slightly rearward from the inner surface of the housing 11. At this time, the portion of the banknote near its front end is slightly separated from the base of the tongue 18B of the tongue roller 18.

[0064] In this case, when the partition plate 26 is rotated from the reject position to the recovery position (Figure 3(A)) in the reject collection unit 8, the force acting on the banknotes due to friction with the tongue piece 18B, etc., is kept smaller than the force acting by the partition plate drive unit 29 and the partition plate rotation spring 27. Therefore, even if there are banknotes that have gone over the first restricting body 41, the reject collection unit 8 can rotate the partition plate 26 to the recovery position due to the elastic force acting from the partition plate rotation spring 27, etc.

[0065] Furthermore, the partition plate 26 is configured such that the second restrictor 42 is provided not on the partition plate body 31, but on the front end inclined portion 40 erected at the front end of the partition plate body 31 (Figures 4 to 6). In other words, the partition plate 26 has the second restrictor 42 above the front end inclined portion 40, which has been provided in the past, without any other parts below or in front of it. As a result, in the reject collection unit 8, when the partition plate 26 is in the collection position (Figure 3(A)), even if a banknote released from the release section 13 deviates above the virtual release line X13, the front end inclined portion 40 and the lower surface of the partition plate body 31 can guide the banknote diagonally downward and backward. That is, although the reject collection unit 8 has an additional second restrictor 42, it is possible to prevent banknotes from colliding with the front end of the partition plate 26 and getting stuck or jammed, just as in the conventional unit.

[0066] Furthermore, in the partition plate 26, the angle α (Figure 6) between the partition plate mounting surface 31S and the first restricting surface 41S of the first restricting body 41 is an obtuse angle greater than 90 degrees. While an acute angle of 90 degrees or less would be ideal for the purpose of restricting banknotes placed on the mounting area 26U at the reject position (Figure 3(B) and Figure 6), the angle α is obtuse as a result of considering the effect of avoiding snagging of banknotes released from the release section 13 at the collection position (Figure 3(A)).

[0067] On the other hand, since the second restricting body 42 is erected above the front inclined portion 40 as described above, there is no need to consider the possibility of banknotes getting caught when the partition plate 26 is in the collection position (Figure 3(A)). For this reason, the angle β (Figure 6) between the second restricting surface 42S and the partition plate mounting surface 31S of the second restricting body 42 can be made acute.

[0068] Therefore, when a banknote that has passed over the first restrictor 41 comes into contact with the second restrictor surface 42S at the reject position (Figures 3(B) and 6), the partition plate 26 can guide the front end of the banknote so that it moves downward along the second restrictor surface 42S. This makes it extremely difficult for the partition plate 26 to prevent the banknote from passing over the second restrictor 42, that is, to prevent it from rotating to the retrieval position (Figure 3(A)) by applying a sufficiently large force between the tongue 18B of the tongue roller 18 and the banknote.

[0069] Furthermore, the partition plate 26 is positioned so that the upper end of the second restricting body 42 is below the first upper end tangent X17 (Figure 6). In this partition plate 26, the position of the upper end of the first restricting body 41 is determined so that even if a banknote released from the release section 13 deviates downward from the virtual release line X13, the possibility of it getting caught on the upper end of the first restricting body 41 is sufficiently low. In other words, in the reject collection unit 8, the possibility of a banknote released from the release section 13 moving below the first upper end tangent X17 is extremely low. Taking this into consideration, in the reject collection unit 8, by positioning the upper end of the second restricting body 42 below the first upper end tangent X17, the possibility of a banknote released from the release section 13 getting caught on the second restricting body 42 can also be kept extremely low.

[0070] Incidentally, in the rejected banknote collection unit 8, if the position of the second restricting body 42 in the front-to-back direction on the partition plate 26 is inappropriate, there is a risk that the forward displacement of the banknotes may not be properly restricted. For example, the hypothetical rejected banknote collection unit 208 shown in Figure 8, which corresponds to Figure 3(B), is provided with a partition plate 226 instead of the partition plate 26. On this partition plate 226, instead of the second restricting body 42, a second restricting body 242 is provided in front of the second restricting body 42, that is, closer to the discharge section 13.

[0071] In this reject collection unit 208, if the front end portion of a banknote BL placed on the partition plate 226 goes over the first restricting body 41, the banknote comes to rest at a position where it contacts the second restricting surface 242S, which is the rear surface of the second restricting body 242. However, in the reject collection unit 208, the tip portion of the banknote BL reaches a position sufficiently close to the base of the tongue 18B on the tongue roller 18.

[0072] Therefore, in the reject collection unit 208, as in the case of the hypothetical reject collection unit 108 (Figure 7) described above, the force acting on the banknote BL due to friction with the tongue piece 18B may be greater than the force acting by the partition plate drive unit 29 and the partition plate rotation spring 27. In other words, in the reject collection unit 208, there is a risk that the partition plate 226 may not be able to be rotated to the collection position due to the banknote BL that has passed over the first restricting body 41.

[0073] Furthermore, for example, the hypothetical reject recovery chamber 308 shown in Figure 9, which corresponds to Figure 3(B), is provided with a partition plate 326 in place of the partition plate 26. This partition plate 326 is provided with a second restricting body 342 in place of the second restricting body 42, that is, in a position closer to the first restricting body 41, behind the second restricting body 42.

[0074] In this reject collection unit 308, if the front end portion of the banknote BL placed on the partition plate 326 goes over the first restricting body 41, there is a high probability that the banknote BL will easily go over the second restricting body 342 which is close to the first restricting body 41. In this case, in the reject collection unit 308, similar to the reject collection unit 108 (Figure 7), the tip portion of the banknote BL reaches a position sufficiently close to the base of the tongue 18B on the tongue roller 18.

[0075] Therefore, in the reject collection unit 308, just as in the case of the reject collection unit 108 (Figure 7), the force acting on the banknote BL due to friction with the tongue piece 18B may be greater than the force acting by the partition plate drive unit 29 and the partition plate rotation spring 27. In other words, in the reject collection unit 308, there is a risk that the partition plate 326 may not be able to rotate to the collection position if the banknote BL has successively passed over the first restricting body 41 and the second restricting body 342.

[0076] Taking these points into consideration, the reject collection unit 8 has an appropriate position set for the second restricting body 42 in the front-to-back direction on the partition plate 26. As a result, even if a banknote placed on the placement area 26U in the reject collection unit 8 overshoots the first restricting body 41, the banknote can be brought into contact with the second restricting surface 42S of the second restricting body 42 and kept at a position sufficiently far from the base of the tongue piece 18B on the tongue piece roller 18. This allows the reject collection unit 8 to smoothly rotate and displace the partition plate 26 between the reject position (Figure 3(B)) and the collection position (Figure 3(A)).

[0077] Incidentally, in the rejected banknote collection unit 8, as shown in Figure 10 which corresponds to Figure 4, it is ideal for the banknote BL on the partition plate 26 to be in a position where the paper surface is approximately parallel to the partition plate mounting surface 31S, with the longer side aligned in the left-right direction and the shorter side aligned in the front-back direction (hereinafter referred to as the ideal position). However, in the actual rejected banknote collection unit 8, as shown in Figure 11, the banknote BL placed on the partition plate 26 may rotate on the partition plate mounting surface 31S, that is, so-called skew may occur.

[0078] In the rejected collection unit 8, as described above, when the tongue 18B of the tongue roller 18 reaches a banknote placed on the partition plate mounting surface 31S, the tongue 18B pulls each part of the front end of the banknote forward as the tongue roller 18 rotates. At this time, the banknote is gradually brought closer to the ideal position (Figure 10), in which its front edge is in contact with the two first restricting bodies 41 or the two second restricting bodies 42, and the rotation angle from the ideal position (hereinafter referred to as the skew angle) decreases, but the amount of decrease is small. For this reason, it is desirable that no skew occurs in the banknote BL in the rejected collection unit 8, and if it does occur, it is desirable that the skew angle be as small as possible.

[0079] In the rejected banknote collection unit 8, the range of movement of the banknote BL in the rear direction is restricted by the rear inner surface of the housing 11, and the range of movement in the front direction is restricted by two first restricting bodies 41 or two second restricting bodies 42. Therefore, in the rejected banknote collection unit 8, when the banknote BL passes over the first restricting body 41, the skew angle is largest when either the left or right vertex on the rear side contacts the rear inner surface of the housing 11, and the front edge contacts one of the second restricting bodies 42.

[0080] In other words, in the reject collection compartment 8, if the position of the second restricting body 42 is moved closer to the inside in the left-right direction, the maximum skew angle that the banknote BL can take becomes larger. In this reject collection compartment 8, if the skew angle of the banknote BL becomes too large, as shown in Figure 11, the vicinity of the vertex that protrudes forward on the banknote may come very close to, or even come into contact with, the front inner surface of the storage space 12. In such a case, when the partition plate 26 is rotated from the reject position (Figure 3(B)) to the collection position (Figure 3(A)), as shown in Figure 12, the banknote BL may get caught on other parts formed inside the housing 11, preventing it from being displaced to the collection position. For this reason, it is desirable to position the second restricting body 42 as far outward as possible in the left-right direction in the partition plate 26.

[0081] On the other hand, in the reject collection compartment 8, if the second restrictor 42 is positioned relatively far outward in the left-right direction, the short side of the banknote BL placed on the partition plate 26 may catch on the second restrictor 42, and even if each part is pulled forward by the tongue roller 18, there is a risk that the skew angle will not be reduced. For this reason, it is desirable to position the second restrictor 42 as far inward as possible in the left-right direction in the partition plate 26.

[0082] Therefore, in the reject collection unit 8, after considering these factors comprehensively, the position of the second restricting body 42 in the left-right direction was set to be outside the first restricting body 41 and slightly inside the outermost part. As a result, in the reject collection unit 8, the possibility of skew occurring in the banknotes BL placed on the partition plate 26 can be reduced, and if skew does occur, the skew angle can be kept relatively small. This allows the partition plate 26 to rotate smoothly from the reject position (Figure 3(B)) to the collection position (Figure 3(A)) in the reject collection unit 8.

[0083] With the above configuration, the reject collection compartment 8 of the banknote processing device 1 is provided with a first restricting body 41 at the front end of the main body portion 31 of the partition plate 26, and a second restricting body 42 is provided in front of the first restricting body 41 via a front end inclined portion 40. Even if a banknote placed on the placement area 26U goes over the first restricting body 41, the reject collection compartment 8 will bring its front end into contact with the second restricting body 42, pulling it sufficiently away from the base of the tongue piece 18B of the tongue piece roller 18. As a result, when the reject collection compartment 8 rotates the partition plate 26 from the reject position to the collection position, the force acting on the banknote due to friction with the tongue piece 18B etc. will be reduced, and it will be able to rotate smoothly to the collection position.

[0084] [5. Other Embodiments] In the embodiments described above, the angle β (Figure 6) between the second restricting surface 42S of the second restricting body 42 and the partition plate mounting surface 31S is described as an acute angle less than 90 degrees. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the angle β may be 90 degrees or more.

[0085] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a configuration was described in which the angle α (Figure 6) between the first restricting surface 41S of the first restricting body 41 and the partition plate mounting surface 31S is an obtuse angle greater than 90 degrees. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the angle α may be an angle of 90 degrees or less.

[0086] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration was described in which the second restricting body 42 is erected on the front end inclined portion 40 of the partition plate 26, which is provided in a forward-upward diagonal direction relative to the partition plate body 31 (Figures 5 and 6, etc.). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the second restricting body 42 may be erected on the partition plate body 31.

[0087] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, a configuration was described in which the upper end of the second restrictor 42 is positioned below the first upper end tangent X17 (Figure 6) when the partition plate 26 is in the reject position (Figure 3(B)). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the upper end of the second restrictor 42 may be positioned above the first upper end tangent X17. In this case, it is sufficient that the banknotes released from the release section 13 do not get caught on the second restrictor 42 when they deviate downward from the virtual release line X13.

[0088] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a configuration was described in which the second restricting bodies 42 are provided at two locations outside the two first restricting bodies 41 in the left-right direction (Figures 4 and 5, etc.). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the second restricting bodies 42 may be provided at two locations inside the two first restricting bodies 41 in the left-right direction.

[0089] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a configuration was described in which two first restricting bodies 41 and two second restricting bodies 42 are provided on the partition plate 26 (Figures 4 and 5, etc.). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one or more first restricting bodies 41 may be provided on the partition plate 26, and one or more second restricting bodies 42 may be provided.

[0090] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment describes a configuration in which the discharge section 13 is provided with two upper rollers 16, two lower rollers 17, and five tongue rollers 18. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and for example, one or three or more upper rollers 16, one or three lower rollers 17, and four or fewer or six or more tongue rollers 18 may be provided. In this case, it is desirable that the upper rollers 16 and lower rollers 17 be the same number and positioned corresponding to each other in the left-right direction. The tongue rollers 18 can also be positioned in various locations that do not interfere with the lower rollers 17 in the left-right direction. In these cases, it is desirable that the number, position, and shape of the front end inclined section 40, the first restrictor 41, and the second restrictor on the partition plate 26 be appropriately matched to the left-right positions of the upper rollers 16, lower rollers 17, and tongue rollers 18.

[0091] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the partition plate 26 was described in which it is made of steel plate, that is, a metal material. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the partition plate 26 may be made of various materials such as resin material.

[0092] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the partition plate 26 is displaced to the retrieval position (Figure 3(A)) or the reject position (Figure 3(B)) by rotating around the partition plate pivot axis 25. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the partition plate 26 may be displaced to the retrieval position or the reject position by parallel movement (sliding) in the vertical direction by a predetermined sliding mechanism or the like.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the partition plate drive unit 29 is provided on the banknote processing device housing 2 side. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the partition plate drive unit 29 may also be provided on the housing 11 side of the reject collection unit 8. In this case, the partition plate 26 can be displaced by supplying a control signal from the banknote processing device housing 2 side to the solenoid provided in the partition plate drive unit 29 via a predetermined connection terminal (not shown) or the like.

[0094] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment describes a configuration in which one reject collection compartment 8 is provided in the banknote processing device 1. The present invention is not limited to this configuration, and two or more reject collection compartments 8 may be provided in the banknote processing device 1.

[0095] Furthermore, the embodiments described above describe the application of the present invention to a banknote processing device 1 incorporated into a change dispenser, which is a payment machine operated by a cashier. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to banknote processing devices incorporated into self-service payment machines or semi-self-service payment machines operated by the customer themselves.

[0096] Furthermore, the embodiments described above describe the application of the present invention to a banknote processing device 1 of a change machine that is connected to a POS register used in the checkout area of ​​a supermarket, convenience store, etc., and processes the deposit and withdrawal of banknotes. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to various devices that handle banknotes, such as automated teller machines (window terminals) used in banks and other terminals used by bank employees.

[0097] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and other embodiments. That is, the scope of the present invention extends to embodiments obtained by arbitrarily combining some or all of the embodiments described above and other embodiments. The scope of the present invention also extends to cases where a part of the configuration described in any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments is extracted and substituted or adapted for a part of the configuration of any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments, or where the extracted part of the configuration is added to any embodiment.

[0098] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a reject collection cabinet 8 as a media storage cabinet was described in which a housing 11 as a housing, a discharge section 13 as a discharge section, a partition plate 26 as a partition plate, a partition plate rotation shaft 25 and a partition plate rotation spring 27 as a partition plate displacement section, a tongue roller 18 as a rotating body, a first restrictor 41 as a first restrictor, and a second restrictor 42 as a second restrictor. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a media storage cabinet may be configured with a housing, a discharge section, a partition plate, a partition plate displacement section, a rotating body (or impeller), a first restrictor, and a second restrictor, all of which have various other configurations. [Industrial applicability]

[0099] The present invention can be used, for example, in a banknote processing device incorporated into a payment machine installed in the checkout area of ​​a retail store. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 1...Banknote processing unit, 3...Control unit, 5...Transport unit, 8...Reject collection unit, 11...Housing, 11H...Through hole, 12...Storage space, 12A...Collection storage space, 12B...Reject storage space, 13...Discharge unit, 14...Upper rotating shaft, 15...Lower rotating shaft, 16...Upper roller, 17...Lower roller, 18...Tongue roller, 18A...Center roller section, 18B...Tongue, 25...Partition plate rotation shaft, 26...Partition plate, 26H...Shaft Hole, 26U... Mounting location, 27... Partition plate rotation spring, 29... Partition plate drive unit, 31... Partition plate main body, 31S... Partition plate mounting surface, 33... Engaged part, 40... Front end inclined part, 41... First restricting body, 41S... First restricting surface, 42... Second restricting body, 42S... Second restricting surface, BL... Banknote, F1... Front end line of main body, X13... Virtual discharge line, X17... First upper end tangent line, X31... Virtual straight line, X42... Virtual straight line, α, β... Angle.

Claims

1. A housing having an internal storage space for storing paper-leaf-shaped media in an accumulated state along the direction of accumulation, A discharge unit for releasing the aforementioned medium into the storage space, The storage space is divided into a first storage space on the side opposite to the accumulation direction and a second storage space on the side in the accumulation direction, and a partition plate is provided on the surface on the side in the accumulation direction, which is the surface of the partition plate, on which a placement area is provided for placing the medium. A partition plate displacement unit displaces the partition plate between a first position that allows the medium discharged from the discharge unit to advance into the first storage space, and a second position located on the side opposite to the accumulation direction from the first position that allows the medium discharged from the discharge unit to advance into the second storage space. A rotating body having one or more elastically deformable elastic members in a direction away from the central axis along the width direction perpendicular to the accumulation direction, which rotates about the central axis and assists in the accumulation of the medium released into the storage space, A first restricting body is provided on the discharge side of the aforementioned placement location on the anti-accumulation direction side of the partition plate, which restricts the range of movement of the medium placed on the placement location toward the discharge side, A second restricting body is provided on the side of the partition plate opposite to the accumulation direction, closer to the discharge section than the first restricting body, and restricts the range of movement of the medium placed in the aforementioned location toward the discharge section. A media storage unit characterized by having the following features.

2. The second restricting body is provided at a position away from the aforementioned mounting surface, or from a plane virtually extended from the mounting surface, in the direction of accumulation. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

3. The discharge unit has a pair of rollers, each rotatable and arranged adjacent to each other generally along the accumulation direction, and discharges the medium from between the rotating rollers. When the partition plate is displaced to the second position, the end of the second restrictor on the accumulation direction side is located on the side opposite to the accumulation direction side of the virtual plane that is externally tangent to the roller located on the side opposite to the accumulation direction side and passes through the end of the first restrictor on the accumulation direction side. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

4. The first restricting body has an angle greater than 90 degrees between the first restricting surface, which is the surface on the side of the previously described placement location, and the previously described placement surface. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

5. The second restricting body has an angle less than 90 degrees between a plane that is virtually extended from the second restricting surface, which is the surface on the side of the aforementioned placement location, and a plane that is virtually extended from the aforementioned placement surface. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

6. In the state in which the partition plate is displaced to the second position, the second restricting surface, which is the surface on the side of the previously described placement location, is formed along the accumulation direction. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

7. The second restrictor is positioned such that, when the partition plate is in the second position, the range in which the medium placed on the aforementioned mounting surface rotates on the mounting surface is limited to a range in which the medium does not interfere with the housing when the partition plate is displaced from the second position to the first position. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

8. The second restrictor is positioned further from the center of the partition plate in the width direction than the first restrictor, with respect to the width direction. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

9. The partition plate displacement mechanism, when the partition plate is displaced to the first position, positions the partition plate on the side of the accumulation direction relative to the imaginary line along which the medium discharged from the discharge section should travel. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

10. The partition plate displacement section is located on the opposite side of the storage space from the discharge section and rotates the partition plate around a partition plate rotation axis along the width direction, thereby displacing the partition plate to the first or second position. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

11. The discharge unit comprises a first roller that rotates about the central axis and a second roller that is positioned generally adjacent to the first roller on the accumulation direction side and rotates about a second central axis, and discharges the medium from between the outer circumferential surface of the first roller and the outer circumferential surface of the second roller. The elastic member is a tongue-shaped piece that extends further than the outer circumferential surface of the first roller relative to the central axis. The rotating body is a tongue-shaped roller that rotates around the central axis and pulls the medium placed on the aforementioned surface of the partition plate toward the discharge section. The media storage unit according to feature 1.

12. A transport unit for transporting paper-like media, A media storage cabinet for storing the aforementioned media and Equipped with, The aforementioned media storage unit is A housing having an internal storage space for storing the aforementioned media in an accumulated state along the accumulation direction, A discharge unit for releasing the aforementioned medium into the storage space, The storage space is divided into a first storage space on the side opposite to the accumulation direction and a second storage space on the side in the accumulation direction, and a partition plate is provided on the surface on the side in the accumulation direction, which is the surface of the partition plate, on which a placement area is provided for placing the medium. A partition plate displacement unit displaces the partition plate between a first position that allows the medium discharged from the discharge unit to advance into the first storage space, and a second position located on the side opposite to the accumulation direction from the first position that allows the medium discharged from the discharge unit to advance into the second storage space. A rotating body having one or more elastically deformable elastic members in a direction away from the central axis along the width direction perpendicular to the accumulation direction, which rotates about the central axis and assists in the accumulation of the medium released into the storage space, A first restricting body is provided on the discharge side of the aforementioned placement location on the anti-accumulation direction side of the partition plate, which restricts the range of movement of the medium placed on the placement location toward the discharge side, A second restricting body is provided on the side of the partition plate opposite to the accumulation direction, closer to the discharge section than the first restricting body, and restricts the range of movement of the medium placed in the aforementioned location toward the discharge section. A media processing apparatus characterized by comprising the following:

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