Coin processing device and coin handling device

Abstract

To provide a medium processing apparatus and a medium treatment apparatus capable of inhibiting occurrence of a defect during medium conveyance.SOLUTION: A conveyance pin 31p moves in a first conveyance area and a second conveyance area in a manner that the conveyance pin can abut on a medium Ci, then abuts on an upstream side in a conveyance direction of the medium Ci, and pushes the medium Ci to a downstream side in the conveyance direction. A restriction pin 31r moves in the first conveyance area in a manner that the restriction pin does not abut on the medium Ci, moves in the second conveyance area in a manner that the restriction pin can abut on the medium Ci, and then abuts on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the medium Ci so as to restrict the medium Ci from being separated too much from the conveyance pin 31p to the downstream side in the conveyance direction. A brush 50 restricts the medium Ci from moving to the downstream side in the conveyance direction while the medium is being separated from the conveyance pin 31p, and causes the medium Ci to abut on the conveyance pin 31p.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to coin a processing apparatus and coin a handling apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] In a coin processing apparatus having a coin depositing function for coins, which is one type of medium, for example, denomination is identified while coins inserted into a coin insertion slot are conveyed along a conveyance path, and depositing is performed by storing coins in a coin storage unit for each denomination. As this type of coin processing apparatus, there is an apparatus in which a pin belt having conveyance pins fixed to a conveyance belt is run along the conveyance path, and coins are pushed and conveyed by the conveyance pins (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-151558 [Summary of Invention] [Problems to be Solved by Invention]

[0004] However, in conventional coin processing apparatuses, since coins are pushed and conveyed by conveyance pins, there are cases where coins separate from the conveyance pins toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction and move ahead. If a coin moves too far ahead of the conveyance pin and separates excessively from the conveyance pin in this manner, the operation timing of various coin processing units provided on the conveyance path (such as a coin recognition unit that identifies coin denominations and a gate that changes the conveyance destination of coins) does not match the timing at which the coin reaches the various coin processing units, causing a malfunction.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, coin it is intended to propose coin a processing apparatus and coin a handling apparatus that can suppress the occurrence of malfunctions during conveyance. [Means for Solving Problems]

[0006] To solve these problems, the present invention coin In the processing apparatus, coin A transport guide that forms a transport path having a first transport region extending from the upstream side in the transport direction to the downstream side in the transport direction and a second transport region extending from the first transport region to the downstream side in the transport direction; a transport pin that moves along the transport path from the upstream side in the transport direction to the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport path; a regulating pin provided at a predetermined interval downstream of the transport pin in the transport direction and moving together with the transport pin along the transport path from the upstream side in the transport direction to the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport path; and provided at a predetermined location in the first transport region, coin The transport pin is provided with a restricting section that restricts the movement of the transport pin downstream in the transport direction, and in the first transport region and the second transport region, coin While moving in a state in which it can come into contact with the, coin It abuts against the upstream side in the transport direction. coin By pushing it downstream in the transport direction, coin The transport is carried, and the regulating pin is in the first transport area. coin It moves without coming into contact with the second transport area, coin While moving in a state in which it can come into contact with the, coin By contacting the downstream side in the transport direction, coin The restricting part prevents the transport pin from moving too far downstream in the transport direction, and the restricting part is the coin The movement of the conveying pin while it remains separated from the conveying pin is restricted to the downstream direction in the conveying direction. coin The conveying pin is brought into contact with the conveying pin, the first conveying surface which is the bottom surface of the first conveying area is lower in the height direction than the second conveying surface which is the bottom surface of the second conveying area, and the length of the conveying pin is such that the lower end of the conveying pin is on the first conveying surface coin and on the second transport surface coin The length of the regulating pin is such that it contacts the first conveying surface, and the length of the regulating pin is such that the lower end of the regulating pin is on the first conveying surface. coin It does not come into contact with the second transport surface coinhas a length that allows abutment, an inclined surface connecting the first conveyance surface and the second conveyance surface is provided on the first conveyance region side of the connection portion between the first conveyance region and the second conveyance region, and the regulating portion is provided on the inclined surface further upstream in the conveyance direction than a point where the distance in the height direction from the regulating pin is equal to the thickness of the thickest coin among the coins to be handled.

[0007] Further, in the coin handling apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus comprises an operation display section and the above-described coin processing apparatus.

[0008] According to the present invention, in the first conveyance region of the conveyance path, a regulating member coin regulates movement of [the coin] to the downstream side in the conveyance direction in a state separated from the conveyance pin, and in the second conveyance region, a regulating pin coin regulates [the coin] from being separated too far from the conveyance pin, thereby coin during conveyance coin [the coin] can be prevented from being separated too far from the conveyance pin.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, coin it is possible to realize a coin processing apparatus and coin handling apparatus that can suppress the occurrence of malfunctions during conveyance.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a depositing and dispensing machine. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an internal structure of a depositing and dispensing machine (coin processing apparatus). [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing a configuration of a deposit conveyance section. [Figure 4] It is an enlarged view of a part of the deposit conveyance section. [Figure 5] It is a front view of a part of a second portion included in the deposit conveyance section. [Figure 6]It is a view of a part of the third portion included in the deposit conveyance section as seen from the right side. [Figure 7] It is a view of a part of the fifth portion included in the deposit conveyance section as seen from the left side. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of a brush. [Figure 9] It is a transition diagram showing the operation of a brush. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of a brush according to another embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [1. External Configuration of Deposit and Withdrawal Machine] FIG. 1 shows the external appearance of a deposit and withdrawal machine 1. This deposit and withdrawal machine 1 is a device capable of depositing and withdrawing banknotes and coins, and has a box-shaped device housing 2. Here, among the respective surfaces forming the device housing 2, the surface facing the user is defined as a front surface 2a, and the upper surface as viewed from the user is defined as an upper surface 2b.

[0013] The device housing 2 is a box-shaped body 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 printed, and an operation display section 4 that functions as a display section for displaying various screens and an operation section for receiving operation inputs for the various screens displayed on the display section. As the operation display section 4, for example, a display with a touch panel is used.

[0014] Furthermore, on the upper left portion of the front surface 2a of the device housing 2, there is provided a banknote deposit slot into which banknotes are inserted, and further below the banknote deposit slot, there is provided a banknote withdrawal slot from which banknotes are discharged. Furthermore, on the front surface 2a of the device housing 2, a coin insertion slot into which coins are inserted is provided on the right side of the banknote deposit slot, and further below the banknote withdrawal slot, there is provided a coin discharge slot from which coins are discharged.

[0015] [2. Internal structure of a coin deposit / withdrawal machine] Next, the internal structure of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1 will be explained using Figures 2(A) and (B). Figure 2(A) is a front view of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1 as seen from the front, and Figure 2(B) is a side view of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1 as seen from the right side. The deposit / withdrawal machine 1 is equipped with a banknote processing unit that handles the deposit and withdrawal of banknotes, and a coin processing unit 10 that handles the deposit and withdrawal of coins, but the banknote processing unit is omitted in Figures 2(A) and (B). Therefore, Figures 2(A) and (B) only show the internal structure of the coin processing unit 10.

[0016] The coin processing device 10 has a sloping coin insertion section 11 that extends downward and is connected to a coin slot 7, located on the upper front right side of the device housing 2. Below this coin insertion section 11 is a coin dispensing section 12 that dispenses coins one by one backward as they pass through the coin insertion section 11. This coin dispensing section 12 has an outlet at its rear, from which the coins are dispensed backward.

[0017] A deposit transport unit 14 is provided behind the coin dispensing unit 12, and a coin delivery unit 13 is provided at the connection point between the discharge port of the coin dispensing unit 12 and the deposit transport unit 14, which delivers the coins dispensed from the coin dispensing unit 12 one by one to the deposit transport unit 14. The coin delivery unit 13 is designed to deliver coins one by one by gripping them with rollers that are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction.

[0018] Here, Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the coin processing device 10 when it is cut along the AA cutting line in Figure 2(B) (the cutting line located above the deposit transport section 14). Figure 3 shows the deposit transport section 14 as seen from above.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, the deposit transport unit 14 has a transport path R that serves as a path for coins Ci. This transport path R is formed by a transport guide 30 and consists of a first portion R1 extending diagonally to the left and rear from the coin dispensing unit 13, a second portion R2 extending to the left from the end of the first portion R1, a third portion R3 extending to the rear from the end of the second portion R2, a fourth portion R4 extending to the right from the end of the third portion R3, and a fifth portion R5 extending forward from the end of the fourth portion R4, and is generally annular in shape. The transport guide 30 consists of a guide side portion 30a that forms both sides in the width direction of the transport path R, and a guide transport surface portion 30b that forms the bottom surface (hereinafter referred to as the transport surface) of the transport path R.

[0020] The deposit transport unit 14 also has a pin belt 31 for transporting coins Ci along the transport path R. The pin belt 31 has a transport belt 31b that runs along the transport path R above the transport path R (i.e., above the guide transport surface 30b) and rod-shaped transport pins 31p that extend downward from the transport belt 31b (i.e., toward the guide transport surface 30b).

[0021] The conveyor belt 31b is stretched over a pulley (not shown) provided at a bend in the conveyor path R, and as the pulley rotates, the conveyor belt 31b travels along the central part of the conveyor path R in the width direction. Conveyor pins 31p are provided on the conveyor belt 31b at regular intervals (hereinafter referred to as pitch) in the conveying direction.

[0022] The deposit and transport unit 14 transports the coins Ci sent from the coin dispensing unit 13 onto the transport path R by pushing them with transport pins 31p while the transport belt 31b runs along the transport path R. Although not shown in Figure 3, the pin belt 31 has regulating pins between the transport pins 31p to prevent the coins Ci from moving too far downstream from the transport pins 31p in the transport direction. More details about the regulating pins will be described later.

[0023] Furthermore, in the third section R3 of the transport path R, a coin recognition unit 32, a reject gate 33, and a coin sorting gate 34a are provided in order from the upstream side (i.e., the front side) in the transport direction. In addition, in the third section R3, a brush 50 is provided in front of the coin recognition unit 32 (near the upstream side in the transport direction), and a brush 51 is provided in front of the reject gate 33 (near the upstream side in the transport direction). Brushes 50 and 51 are components that prevent the coin Ci from moving downstream in the transport direction while separated from the transport pin 31p. Brushes 50 and 51 will be described in more detail later.

[0024] Furthermore, in the fifth section R5 of the transport path R, metal type gates 34b, 34c, 34d, 34e, and 34f are provided in order from the upstream side (i.e., the rear side) in the transport direction.

[0025] The coin recognition unit 32 has an identification function that determines the denomination of coins Ci being transported along the transport path R and whether or not they are normal coins. Coins that are determined not to be normal coins that can be deposited into the coin processing device 10 (i.e., coins that cannot be deposited into the coin processing device 10) are called rejected coins.

[0026] The reject gate 33 is a gate for sorting rejected coins. By opening and closing this reject gate 33, the coins Ci that have been transported along the transport path R can either continue to be transported along the transport path R, or be sorted (dropped) into the reject chute 15 located below the reject gate 33 (see Figures 2(A) and (B)).

[0027] The denomination gates 34a to 34f are gates for sorting coins (more specifically, normal coins that can be deposited) Ci into their respective denominations. By opening and closing these denomination gates 34a to 34f, the coins Ci that have been transported along the transport path R can be either transported along the transport path R, or sorted (dropped) into the denomination chutes 16a to 16f located below them.

[0028] Returning to Figure 2, as shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), the denomination-specific chutes 16a to 16f each extend from the deposit transport section 14 to the denomination-specific withdrawal hoppers 17a to 17f located below the deposit transport section 14, guiding the coins sorted by the denomination-specific gates 34a to 34f to the denomination-specific withdrawal hoppers 17a to 17f.

[0029] Each coin-type dispensing hopper 17a to 17f has the function of storing coins and the function of dispensing the stored coins one by one, dispensing the stored coins one by one to the horizontal dispensing transport section 18 located below.

[0030] The reject chute 15 extends from the deposit transport section 14 to the horizontal withdrawal transport section 18, and guides the rejected coins sorted by the reject gate 33 to the horizontal withdrawal transport section 18.

[0031] The horizontal coin dispensing and transporting unit 18 has a transport belt that can travel in the front-to-back direction and transports coins dispensed from the coin hopper 17a to 17f for each denomination, as well as rejected coins guided by the reject chute 15, forward (specifically, near the front 2a of the device housing 2) via the transport belt. The front of this horizontal coin dispensing and transporting unit 18 is connected to the collection unit 19 located below the horizontal coin dispensing and transporting unit 18, and to the lift coin dispensing and transporting unit 20 which extends upward from the front of the horizontal coin dispensing and transporting unit 18. The horizontal coin dispensing and transporting unit 18 can switch the destination of the coins to either the collection unit 19 or the lift coin dispensing and transporting unit 20.

[0032] The collection unit 19 stores the coins transported by the horizontal coin dispensing unit 18 as collected coins. The lift coin dispensing unit 20 transports the coins transported by the horizontal coin dispensing unit 18 to the coin dispensing opening 8 located above.

[0033] Furthermore, a control unit (not shown) is provided at a predetermined location inside the device housing 2, which controls the entire coin processing device 10 and holds various information. The internal structure of the coin processing device is as described above.

[0034] Here, we will briefly explain the coin deposit operation as part of the operation of the coin processing device 10. Note that this deposit operation is controlled by the control unit.

[0035] When depositing coins, the user inserts the coins they wish to deposit into the coin slot 7. The coins inserted into the coin slot 7 pass through the coin insertion section 11 and are dispensed from the coin dispensing section 12, and then sent one by one to the transport path R of the deposit transport section 14 by the coin delivery section 13. The coins sent to the transport path R are transported by the pin belt 31, and the coin recognition section 32 determines the denomination and whether the coins are normal or abnormal.

[0036] If the inserted coin is identified as a rejected coin by the coin recognition unit 32, the control unit opens the reject gate 33. As a result, the rejected coin is sent from the transport path R through the reject chute 15 to the horizontal dispensing transport unit 18. The rejected coin sent to the horizontal dispensing transport unit 18 is then sent to the lift dispensing transport unit 20 and transported to the coin dispensing opening 8.

[0037] In this manner, the coin processing device 10 returns any coins that are identified as rejected coins among those inserted by the user to the coin dispensing slot 8.

[0038] On the other hand, when the inserted coin is identified as a normal coin by the coin recognition unit 32, the control unit opens the denomination gate from among the denomination gates 34a to 34f that corresponds to the denomination identified by the coin recognition unit 32. As a result, the normal coin passes through the denomination chute corresponding to the coin's denomination (i.e., one of the denomination chutes 16a to 16f) and is stored in the denomination dispensing hopper corresponding to the coin's denomination (i.e., one of the denomination dispensing hoppers 17a to 17f).

[0039] In this manner, the coin processing device 10 stores coins that have been identified as valid by the coin recognition unit 32 into the corresponding denomination dispensing hopper. The deposit operation of the coin processing device 10 is as described above.

[0040] Furthermore, during the coin dispensing operation of the coin processing device 10, the control unit dispenses a specified number of coins for each denomination from each of the denomination-specific dispensing hoppers 17a to 17f, and the dispensed coins are transported to the coin dispensing opening 8 by the horizontal dispensing transport unit 18 and the lift dispensing transport unit 20, and then discharged from the coin dispensing opening 8.

[0041] Furthermore, during the coin processing device 10's collection operation, the control unit dispenses the stored coins from each of the coin dispensing hoppers 17a to 17f for each denomination, and the dispensed coins are transported to the collection unit 19 by the horizontal dispensing and transporting unit 18 and stored in the collection unit 19.

[0042] [3. Configuration of the deposit and transport unit] Next, the configuration of the deposit transport unit 14 will be explained in more detail. Here, the configuration of the pin belt 31 and the brushes 50 and 51 of the deposit transport unit 14 will be explained mainly using Figures 3 to 8. Here, Figure 4 is a magnified portion of Figure 3 (specifically, the area around the second portion R2 of the transport path R), and Figure 5 is a side view of a part of the second portion R2 viewed from the front (guide side portion 30a is omitted). Figure 6 is a side view of a part of the third portion R3 of the transport path R viewed from the right (guide side portion 30a is omitted), and Figure 7 is a side view of a part of the fifth portion R5 of the transport path R viewed from the left (guide side portion 30a and various gates are omitted). Note that Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams in which the scale of each part has been appropriately changed from the actual scale, and some parts have been omitted. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the brush 50.

[0043] First, the configuration of the pin belt 31 will be explained using Figures 4 and 5. The pin belt 31 has a conveyor belt 31b, a conveyor pin 31p, and a regulating pin 31r. As mentioned above, the conveyor belt 31b is the part that runs along the conveyor path R, and the conveyor pin 31p and the regulating pin 31r are provided on this conveyor belt 31b.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the conveyor belt 31b is provided with conveyor pins 31p at a constant pitch Pt in the conveying direction indicated by arrow Aw1. In this embodiment, one pitch Pt is 105 [mm]. The conveyor pins 31p extend downward from the conveyor belt 31b toward the conveying surface Rb, which is the bottom surface of the conveying path R.

[0045] Furthermore, the conveyor belt 31b is provided with one regulating pin 31r between each conveying pin 31p (i.e., one per pitch Pt). Specifically, the regulating pins 31r are located at a distance D1 from the conveying pin 31p on the upstream side in the conveying direction (right side in Figure 5) and at a distance D2 from the conveying pin 31p on the downstream side in the conveying direction (left side in Figure 5). In this embodiment, the distance D1 is 42 [mm] and the distance D2 is 63 [mm]. The regulating pins 31r, like the conveying pins 31p, extend downward from the conveyor belt 31b toward the conveying surface Rb, but their length is shorter than that of the conveying pins 31p.

[0046] Incidentally, as shown in Figure 3, the transport path R can be divided into a range A on the upstream side in the transport direction and a range B on the downstream side in the transport direction, with the upstream end of the reject gate 33 as the boundary, and as shown in Figure 6, the height of the transport surface Rb is different in range A and range B. Specifically, in range B, which includes various gates such as the reject gate 33, the transport surface Rb is higher than in range A, which includes the coin recognition unit 32. More specifically, the transport surface Rb on the range B side (hereinafter referred to as the gate-side transport surface RbB) is, for example, higher than the transport surface Rb on the range A side (hereinafter referred to as the recognition unit-side transport surface RbA) by at least the thickness of the thickest coin Ci among the coins Ci being handled (hereinafter referred to as the maximum coin thickness) Th1. Note that in Figures 6 and 7, the transport pin 31p located on the downstream side (right side in the figure) of the regulating pin 31r in the transport direction is omitted.

[0047] The transport surface RbA on the recognition unit side and the transport surface RbB on the gate side are both horizontal (or nearly horizontal) surfaces, and the connection between the transport surface RbA and the transport surface RbB is a gently sloping surface RbC that rises from the transport surface RbA towards the transport surface RbB. This sloping surface RbC is included, for example, on the side of range A.

[0048] The transport pin 31p is a component that transports coins Ci by pushing them, and as shown in Figure 5, its length is selected such that within range A, the gap between its lower end and the recognition-side transport surface RbA is narrower than the thickness of the thinnest coin Ci being handled (hereinafter referred to as the minimum coin thickness) Th2. Also, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 7 with respect to the transport pin 31p, within range B, the lower end of the transport pin 31p fits into a groove (not shown) formed in the central part of the width direction of the gate-side transport surface RbB, and overlaps the gate-side transport surface RbB downwards.

[0049] Furthermore, the groove formed on the gate-side transport surface RbB is also formed on the inclined surface RbC (Figure 6). In other words, when the transport pin 31p moves from range A to range B, the lower end of the transport pin 31p enters the groove on the inclined surface RbC and then enters the groove on the gate-side transport surface RbB. Note that the coin reading surface of the coin recognition unit 32 (the upper surface of the coin recognition unit 32) is provided on the recognition unit-side transport surface RbA, so if a groove is formed there, it would interfere with coin recognition. For this reason, grooves are formed only on the gate-side transport surface RbB and the inclined surface RbC downstream of the coin recognition unit 32 in the transport direction, and the recognition unit-side transport surface RbA is lower than these surfaces.

[0050] On the other hand, the regulating pin 31r is a member that restricts the coin Ci from moving too far away from the transport pin 31p located upstream of the coin Ci in the transport direction within range B. As shown in Figure 6, its length is selected such that within range A, the gap between its lower end and the recognition-side transport surface RbA is wider than the maximum coin thickness Th1, and as shown in Figure 7, within range B, the gap between its lower end and the gate-side transport surface RbB is narrower than the minimum coin thickness Th2. In this embodiment, the lower end of the regulating pin 31r does not overlap downward with respect to the gate-side transport surface RbB, but like the transport pin 31p, it may be designed to fit into the groove of the gate-side transport surface RbB and overlap.

[0051] The pin belt 31 has the following configuration, and as shown in Figure 4, within range A, coins Ci are fed one by one from the coin feeding unit 13 between the transport pins 31p and the transport pins 31p. At this time, the gap between the lower end of the regulating pin 31r and the recognition unit side transport surface RbA is wider than the maximum coin thickness Th1 (see Figure 6). For this reason, the area Ar1 between the transport pin 31p on the upstream side in the transport direction and the transport pin 31p on the downstream side in the transport direction in one pitch of the pin belt 31 is the area that receives the coins Ci fed from the coin feeding unit 13. Hereinafter, area Ar1 is referred to as the coin receiving area Ar1. Note that the wider the gap between the lower end of the regulating pin 31r and the recognition unit side transport surface RbA, the lower the possibility that the coins Ci fed from the coin feeding unit 13 will collide with the regulating pin 31r. Therefore, it is desirable to make the length of the regulating pin 31r as short as possible, within the range where the gap between its lower end and the gate-side transport surface RbB is narrower than the minimum coin thickness Th2.

[0052] As the conveyor belt 31b travels in the conveying direction Aw1, the conveyor pins 31p move in the conveying direction Aw1. At this time, the coins Ci in the coin receiving area Ar1 are transported in the conveying direction Aw1 by the conveyor pins 31p, which are located upstream of the coin Ci in the conveying direction, as the outer surface of the coin Ci comes into contact with the conveyor pins 31p located upstream of the coin Ci in the conveying direction.

[0053] In this way, the pin belt 31 transports the coin Ci along the transport path R. At this time, as shown in Figure 7, the regulating pins 31r of the pin belt 31 are configured to restrict the coin Ci from moving too far downstream in the transport direction from the transport pin 31p located upstream of the coin Ci in the transport direction (i.e., the transport pin 31p that transports the coin Ci), only within range B.

[0054] Specifically, within range B, the regulating pin 31r has a gap between its lower end and the gate-side transport surface RbB that is narrower than the minimum coin thickness Th2. By contacting a coin Ci that is located downstream of the transport pin 31p in the transport direction, it restricts the coin Ci from moving further downstream from the transport pin 31p. In other words, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the area Ar2 between the transport pin 31p on the upstream side of the transport direction and the regulating pin 31r in one pitch of the pin belt 31 is the area where coin Ci can enter within range B. For this reason, area Ar2 is slightly larger than the diameter of the largest coin Ci among those being handled. In contrast, the area Ar3 between the regulating pin 31r and the transport pin 31p on the downstream side of the transport direction in one pitch is the area within range B where coin Ci should not enter.

[0055] In this way, the deposit transport unit 14 restricts the coin Ci from moving too far away from the transport pin 31p by using the regulating pin 31r within range B, thereby enabling the opening and closing timing of each gate located within range B to be synchronized with the timing of coin arrival at each gate.

[0056] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, the regulating pin 31r cannot prevent the coin Ci from moving too far away from the transport pin 31p within range A. Specifically, the gap between the lower end of the regulating pin 31r and the recognition-side transport surface RbA is wider than the maximum coin thickness Th1, and therefore it does not come into contact with the coin Ci, and thus cannot prevent the coin Ci from moving too far away from the transport pin 31p. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, within range A, the coin Ci will be located between the transport pins 31p (i.e., within the coin receiving area Ar1).

[0057] Here, for example, it is conceivable to make the regulating pin 31r the same length as the transport pin 31p so that regulation by the regulating pin 31r can be performed even within range A. However, in this case, area Ar2 shown in Figure 5 becomes the coin receiving area, so the coin receiving area becomes narrower. When the coin receiving area becomes narrower in this way, the timing of coin delivery from the coin delivery unit 13 to the transport path R becomes critical, making it difficult to increase the transport speed of coin Ci, for example. For this reason, we would like to widen the coin receiving area (i.e., area Ar2 shown in Figure 5), but if we widen the coin receiving area, the regulating pin 31r will be too far away from the transport pin 31p, and it will no longer be possible to regulate the coin Ci from moving too far away from the transport pin 31p.

[0058] Therefore, in this embodiment, instead of restricting coins Ci sent from the coin dispensing unit 13 within range A, the coin receiving area is widened to the maximum extent within one pitch, and the restricting pin 31r is applied only within range B.

[0059] On the other hand, if the restriction pin 31r is only used for restriction within range B, then naturally, restriction cannot be performed within range A. As a result, the coin Ci may reach the coin recognition unit 32 when it is too far from the transport pin 31p. In this case, the timing of the operation of the coin recognition unit 32 and the timing of the coin's arrival at the coin recognition unit 32 will not match, resulting in malfunctions such as the coin Ci not being recognized correctly. Also, if the coin Ci enters range B from range A when it is too far from the transport pin 31p, the coin Ci may enter area Ar3 shown in Figure 5 within range B. In this case, for example, the timing of the operation of the reject gate 33 and the timing of the coin's arrival at the reject gate 33 will not match, resulting in malfunctions such as the coin Ci not being transported to the appropriate destination.

[0060] Therefore, in this embodiment, brushes 50 and 51 are provided in front of the coin recognition unit 32 (near the upstream side in the transport direction) and in front of the reject gate 33 (near the upstream side in the transport direction) to prevent the coin Ci from moving downstream in the transport direction while separated from the transport pin 31p. The configuration of brushes 50 and 51 will now be explained using Figures 3 and 8. Note that in Figure 8, the transport belt 31b is shown with a dotted line, and the coin recognition unit 32 is omitted.

[0061] Since brushes 50 and 51 have the same basic configuration, this section will describe the configuration of brush 50, which is located in front of the coin recognition unit 32. Brush 50 consists of a mounting portion 60 and two bundles of bristles 61 (61b, 61c). The mounting portion 60 is a component made of metal or resin, and is located above the conveyor belt 31b and attached to a frame (not shown). This mounting portion 60 consists of a plate-shaped central portion 60a extending in the width direction of the conveyor path R, and two plate-shaped arms 60b and 60c extending downward (towards the conveyor surface Rb) from the rear end of the central portion 60a (i.e., the downstream end in the conveyor direction), forming an L-shape when viewed from the width direction of the conveyor path R. The two arms 60b and 60c are located at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the central portion 60a (i.e., the width direction of the conveyor path R).

[0062] The mounting section 60 is positioned such that the conveyor belt 31b is located between the two arms 60b and 60c when viewed from above, and the central section 60a is fixed to a frame (not shown). The left end portion 60aL of the central section 60a, which is located to the left of the left arm 60c, is also fixed to a frame (not shown). The mounting section 60 can be easily removed from the frame (not shown), and for example, if the bristle bundles 61b and 61c wear out, the entire brush 50 can be replaced. The distance between the two arms 60b and 60c of this mounting section 60 is wider than the diameter of the conveyor pin 31p and the regulating pin 31r (omitted in Figure 8). For this reason, when viewed from above, the two arms 60b and 60c are located further outside the outer circumference of the conveyor pin 31p and the regulating pin 31r (towards the guide side portion 30a).

[0063] Then, hair bundles 61b and 61c extending downward are attached to the front surfaces (downstream surfaces in the conveying direction) of the two arms 60b and 60c, respectively. In other words, the two hair bundles 61b and 61c are positioned opposite each other with a gap in the width direction of the conveying path R, with the conveying belt 31b in between. The hair bundles 61b and 61c are attached such that, for example, multiple hairs are arranged in a bundle in the width direction of the conveying path R. The conveying pins 31p and regulating pins 31r attached to the conveying belt 31b pass between these two hair bundles 61b and 61c. It is desirable that the two arms 60b and 60c are positioned opposite each other so that they are at equal distances from the conveying belt 31b.

[0064] The two bristle bundles 61b and 61c extend from the two arms 60b and 60c of the mounting section 60 to the lower conveying surface Rb, and their respective lower ends are long enough to be in contact with (or nearly in contact with) the conveying surface Rb. If the lower ends of the bristle bundles 61b and 61c are to be separated from the conveying surface Rb, the gap between the lower ends of the bristle bundles 61b and 61c and the conveying surface Rb should be narrower than the minimum coin thickness Th2. Furthermore, the distance between the bristle bundles 61b and 61c (the distance between the side of the bristle bundle 61b closest to the belt 31b and the side of the bristle bundle 61c closest to the belt 31b) is preferably narrower than the diameter of the minimum coin. The two bristle bundles 61b and 61c are members formed by bundling multiple bristles together, for example, from an elastic material such as rubber, with their upper ends fixed to the arms 60b and 60c of the mounting section 60 and their lower ends free.

[0065] The brush 50 has the configuration shown above and is positioned in front of the coin recognition unit 32 (i.e., on the recognition unit side transport surface RbA) as shown in Figure 6. It is desirable that the brush 50 be positioned as close as possible to the coin recognition unit 32. On the other hand, the brush 51 has the same basic configuration as the brush 50 and is positioned in front of the reject gate 33 as shown in Figure 6.

[0066] Specifically, the brush 51 is provided on the inclined surface RbC that connects the recognition-side transport surface RbA and the gate-side transport surface RbB. While it is desirable to position the brush 51 as close to the reject gate 33 as possible, in this embodiment, it is positioned on the inclined surface RbC upstream of point P1, where the height distance from the regulating pin 31r is the maximum coin thickness Th1. The reason for this will be explained in more detail later.

[0067] [4. Brush operation] Next, we will explain the operation of brushes 50 and 51 (that is, the operation that prevents the coin Ci from moving downstream in the transport direction while it is separated from the transport pin 31p). Since the basic operation of brushes 50 and 51 is the same, we will explain the operation of brush 50, which is located in front of the coin recognition unit 32, using the operation transition diagram shown in Figure 9.

[0068] First, Figure 9(A) shows what happens when a coin Ci reaches the brush 50 after it has moved away from the transport pin 31p (omitted in Figure 9(A)) located upstream (left side in the figure) of the coin Ci in the transport direction. Normally, the coin Ci is transported by being pushed by the transport pin 31p on the upstream side in the transport direction (that is, it is transported in contact with the transport pin 31p on the upstream side in the transport direction). On the other hand, if a load is applied to the coin Ci, for example, when passing through a corner of the transport path R, the coin Ci may be released from this load after passing the corner and be repelled in the transport direction Aw1, moving away from the transport pin 31p on the upstream side in the transport direction. Figure 9(A) shows the state in which the coin Ci has moved away from the transport pin 31p on the upstream side in the transport direction in this way.

[0069] At this time, the downstream end of the outer surface of the coin Ci in the transport direction comes into contact with the lower ends of the bristle bundles 61b and 61c of the brush 50. Here, the bristle bundles 61b and 61c are pushed in the transport direction Aw1 by the coin Ci, which is detached from the transport pin 31p, but they stop the coin Ci without deforming. In other words, the bristle bundles 61b and 61c block the transport path R and stop the coin Ci, which has been moving while detached from the transport pin 31p. The material and amount of bristles of the bristle bundles 61b and 61c are appropriately selected so that they do not deform even when pushed by the coin Ci, which is detached from the transport pin 31p.

[0070] Even after the coin Ci is stopped by the hair bundles 61b and 61c, the conveyor belt 31b continues to move. As shown in Figure 9(B), the conveyor pin 31p located upstream of the coin Ci in the conveying direction catches up with the coin Ci which is stopped by the hair bundles 61b and 61c, and contacts the upstream end of the outer surface of the coin Ci in the conveying direction. At this point, the coin Ci, which was ahead of the conveyor pin 31p on the upstream side in the conveying direction, is caught up with by the conveyor pin 31p and comes into contact with it.

[0071] As the conveyor belt 31b continues to move, the conveyor pin 31p pushes the coin Ci in the conveying direction Aw1. At this time, the lower ends of the hair bundles 61b and 61c that are in contact with the coin Ci are pushed in the conveying direction Aw1 by the coin Ci pushed by the conveyor pin 31p, causing them to deform so that their lower ends bend toward the conveying direction Aw1, as shown in Figure 9(C).

[0072] When the hair bundles 61b and 61c deform in this way, a gap is created between the lower ends of the hair bundles 61b and 61c and the recognition-side transport surface RbA, and the coin Ci, which is being pushed by the transport pin 31p, passes through the hair bundles 61b and 61c through this gap. In other words, when the lower ends of the hair bundles 61b and 61c are pushed in the transport direction Aw1 by the coin Ci being pushed by the transport pin 31p, the hair bundles 61b and 61c deform so that the lower ends move away from the recognition-side transport surface RbA, thereby forming a path for the coin Ci (i.e., a gap between the lower ends of the hair bundles 61b and 61c and the recognition-side transport surface RbA). The material and amount of hair of the hair bundles 61b and 61c are appropriately selected so that they deform when pushed by the coin Ci being pushed by the transport pin 31p.

[0073] In this way, the coin Ci, having passed through the hair bundles 61b and 61c, remains in contact with the transport pin 31p and is pushed by the transport pin 31p to pass over the coin recognition unit 32. Once the coin Ci has passed, the hair bundles 61b and 61c return to their original shape and once again block the transport path R.

[0074] By operating in this manner, the brush 50 prevents the coin Ci from moving toward the coin recognition unit 32 downstream in the transport direction while it is separated from the transport pin 31p. This allows the brush 50 to synchronize the timing of the operation by the coin recognition unit 32 with the timing of the coin's arrival at the coin recognition unit 32, thereby preventing malfunctions such as the inability to correctly recognize the coin Ci.

[0075] Meanwhile, the brush 51, located before the reject gate 33, operates in the same manner as the brush 50, preventing the coin Ci from moving toward the reject gate 33 downstream in the transport direction while separated from the transport pin 31p. This allows the brush 51 to synchronize the timing of operation by each gate, such as the reject gate 33, with the timing of coin arrival at each gate, thereby preventing problems such as the inability to transport the coin Ci to the appropriate destination.

[0076] Here, we will explain why the brush 51 is placed on the inclined surface RbC upstream of point P1 in the transport direction, where the height distance from the regulating pin 31r is the maximum coin thickness Th1.

[0077] Consider the case where a coin Ci moves in the transport direction Aw1 while ascending the inclined surface RbC, having moved away from the transport pin 31p on the upstream side of the transport direction. In this case, downstream of point P1 in the transport direction, the height distance between the regulating pin 31r and the inclined surface RbC becomes smaller than the maximum coin thickness Th1. Therefore, if the coin Ci is moving directly below the regulating pin 31r, there is a possibility that the coin Ci may get stuck between the regulating pin 31r and the inclined surface RbC. To prevent such a problem, the coin Ci must be stopped by the brush 51 at least before it reaches point P1, so that the regulating pin 31r is ahead of the coin Ci.

[0078] Therefore, in this embodiment, the brush 51 is provided upstream of point P1 in the transport direction to prevent the above-mentioned problems. It is desirable that the brush 51 be provided as close as possible to the reject gate 33, so it is desirable that it be provided upstream of point P1 in the transport direction and as close as possible to point P1. Furthermore, when the bristles 61b and 61c of the brush 51 are deformed to bend downstream in the transport direction by being pressed by the coin Ci in contact with the transport pin 31p, the tip of these bristles 61b and 61c should not reach the reject gate 33. This can be added as a condition for the placement of the brush 51.

[0079] [5. Summary and Effects] As described above, in this embodiment, the deposit / withdrawal machine 1, which is a media handling device, is equipped with a coin processing device 10, which is a media processing device, and an operation display unit 4. The coin processing device 10 is equipped with a transport guide 30 that forms a transport path R having a first transport area A that extends from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the coins Ci as a medium, and a second transport area B that extends from area A to the downstream side in the transport direction, a transport pin 31p that moves from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport path R, a regulating pin 31r that is provided at a predetermined interval downstream of the transport pin 31p and moves together with the transport pin 31p from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport path R, and brushes 50 and 51 that are provided at predetermined locations in area A and serve as regulating parts that restrict the movement of coins Ci to the downstream side in the transport direction.

[0080] Furthermore, the transport pin 31p moves in a state where it can contact the coin Ci within ranges A and B, and is configured to transport the coin Ci by contacting the upstream side of the coin Ci in the transport direction and pushing the coin Ci downstream in the transport direction.

[0081] Furthermore, the regulating pin 31r moves without contacting the coin Ci in range A, and in range B, it moves in a state where it can contact the coin Ci, and by contacting the downstream side of the coin Ci in the transport direction, it restricts the coin Ci from moving too far downstream from the transport pin 31p. In addition, the brushes 50 and 51 restrict the coin Ci from moving downstream in the transport direction while it is away from the transport pin 31p, and cause the coin Ci to come into contact with the transport pin 31p.

[0082] In this way, the coin processing device 10 restricts the movement of coins Ci downstream in the transport direction while they are away from the transport pins 31p using brushes 50 and 51 in range A of the transport path R, and restricts the movement of coins Ci further away from the transport pins 31p using a restricting pin 31r in range B. This prevents coins Ci from moving too far away from the transport pins 31p during coin transport. Thus, the coin processing device 10 can suppress the occurrence of malfunctions during coin transport.

[0083] Furthermore, in the coin processing device 10 of this embodiment, a coin recognition unit 32 is provided in range A as a medium recognition unit, and a brush 50 as a first regulating unit is provided near the upstream side in the transport direction of the coin recognition unit 32 in range A. By doing so, the coin Ci passes through the coin recognition unit 32 while in contact with the transport pin 31p by the brush 50, so that the timing of operation by the coin recognition unit 32 and the timing of coin arrival at the coin recognition unit 32 can be matched, and problems such as the inability to correctly recognize the coin Ci can be prevented.

[0084] Furthermore, in the coin processing device 10 of this embodiment, a reject gate 33, which is one of the gates, is provided on the B side of the connection portion between range A and range B, and a brush 51, which is a second restricting part, is provided near the upstream side in the transport direction of the reject gate 33 in range A. In this way, the coin Ci is transported to the reject gate 33 while in contact with the transport pin 31p by the brush 51, so that the timing of the operation of the reject gate 33 and the timing of the coin's arrival at the reject gate 33 can be matched, and problems such as the inability to transport the coin Ci to the appropriate destination can be prevented.

[0085] Furthermore, in the coin processing device 10 of this embodiment, the brushes 50 and 51 each have bristle bundles 61b and 61c as elastic members that come into contact with the coin Ci. When the bristle bundles 61b and 61c come into contact with a moving coin Ci that is away from the transport pin 31p and are pushed downstream in the transport direction, they do not deform and stop the coin Ci. When they come into contact with a coin Ci that is in contact with the transport pin 31p and are pushed downstream in the transport direction, they deform and allow the coin Ci to pass through.

[0086] With this configuration, brushes 50 and 51 stop a coin Ci that has been moving away from the transport pin 31p. Then, when the transport pin 31p catches up with the coin Ci and pushes the coin Ci downstream in the transport direction, the brushes 50 and 51 allow the coin Ci to pass through while in contact with the transport pin 31p. Furthermore, as the coin Ci passes through, the lower ends of the bristle bundles 61b and 61c of brushes 50 and 51 come into contact with the upper surface of the coin Ci, so the bristle bundles 61b and 61c can also be expected to remove any foreign matter adhering to the upper surface of the coin Ci.

[0087] Furthermore, in the coin processing device 10 of this embodiment, two bundles of hair 61b and 61c are arranged opposite each other with a gap in the width direction of the transport path R, with the transport belt 31b in between. In other words, the bundles of hair 61b and 61c are provided on both sides of the transport belt 31b. As a result, the two bundles of hair 61b and 61c come into contact with two points on the outer surface of the coin Ci (specifically, one part and the other part when the outer surface of the coin Ci is divided in the width direction of the transport path R), so that the coin Ci can be stopped more reliably, and the coin Ci can not be rotated when passing through, and the coin Ci can be transported stably.

[0088] Furthermore, in the coin processing device 10 of this embodiment, the transport pins 31p are provided at a constant pitch Pt in the transport direction Aw1, and the regulating pins 31r are provided between the transport pins 31p. Furthermore, in the coin processing device 10, the transport surface RbA on the recognition unit side, which is the transport surface in range A (first transport surface), is made lower in height than the transport surface RbB on the gate side, which is the transport surface in range B (second transport surface). The length of the transport pins 31p that move on the recognition unit side transport surface RbA and the gate side transport surface RbB is set so that the lower end of the transport pins 31p contacts the coins Ci on the recognition unit side transport surface RbA and the gate side transport surface RbB. On the other hand, the length of the regulating pins 31r that move on the recognition unit side transport surface RbA and the gate side transport surface RbB is set so that the lower end of the regulating pins 31r does not contact the coins Ci on the recognition unit side transport surface RbA, but contacts the coins Ci on the gate side transport surface RbB.

[0089] By doing this, when coins are sent from the coin dispensing unit 13 to area A, the area Ar1 between the transport pins 31p can be used as the coin receiving area. This allows for a wider coin receiving area compared to the case where the area Ar2 between the transport pins 31p and the regulating pins 31r is used as the coin receiving area. This allows for more leeway in the timing of sending coins from the coin dispensing unit 13 to the transport path R, making it easier to increase the transport speed of coins Ci, for example.

[0090] [6. Other Embodiments] [6-1. Other Embodiments 1] In the embodiments described above, brushes 50 and 51, consisting of a mounting portion 60 and two bristle bundles 61 (61b, 61c), were used as regulating members. However, the invention is not limited to these, and brushes with a different configuration from brushes 50 and 51 may be used. Figure 10 shows, as an example, brush 100 with a different configuration from brushes 50 and 51.

[0091] The brush 100 consists of a mounting portion 110 and two bristle bundles 111 (111b, 111c). The mounting portion 110 is a component made of metal or resin, is located above the conveyor belt 31b, and is fixed to a frame (not shown). The mounting portion 110 consists of a central portion 110a extending in the width direction of the conveyor path R, and two arm portions 110b and 110c extending downward (towards the conveyor surface Rb) from both ends of the central portion 110a, forming a U-shape when viewed from the conveyor direction Aw1.

[0092] The mounting section 60 is positioned such that, when viewed from above, the conveyor belt 31b is located between the two arm sections 110b and 110c. The central section 110a has a length (length in the width direction of the conveyor path R) that is longer than the diameter of the conveyor pins 31p and regulating pins 31r (omitted in Figure 8), and shorter than the width of the conveyor path R (i.e., the width of the conveyor surface Rb). For this reason, the two arm sections 110b and 110c extending downward from both ends of the central section 60a are positioned further outside the outer circumference of the conveyor pins 31p and regulating pins 31r (towards the guide side section 30a) when viewed from above.

[0093] Furthermore, hair bundles 111b and 111c extending downwards are attached to the inner surfaces (the surfaces facing the conveyor belt 31b) of the two arm sections 110b and 110c, respectively. In other words, the two hair bundles 111b and 111c are positioned opposite each other with a gap in the width direction of the conveyor path R, with the conveyor belt 31b in between. The hair bundles 111b and 111c are attached such that, for example, multiple hairs are arranged in a bundle in the conveyor direction Aw1. The conveyor pins 31p and regulating pins 31r attached to the conveyor belt 31b pass between these two hair bundles 111b and 111c. It is desirable that the two arm sections 110b and 110c are positioned opposite each other so that they are at equal distances from the conveyor belt 31b.

[0094] The two bristle bundles 111b and 111c extend from the arms 110b and 110c of the mounting portion 110 to the lower conveying surface Rb, and their respective lower ends are long enough to touch (or nearly touch) the conveying surface Rb. If the lower ends of the bristle bundles 111b and 111c are to be separated from the conveying surface Rb, then the gap between the lower ends of the bristle bundles 111b and 111c and the conveying surface Rb should be narrower than the minimum coin thickness Th2. Furthermore, the distance between the bristle bundles 111b and 111c (the distance between the side of the bristle bundle 111b closest to the belt 31b and the side of the bristle bundle 111c closest to the belt 31b) should preferably be narrower than the diameter of the minimum coin. The two hair bundles 111b and 111c are members formed by bundling multiple hairs together, for example, from an elastic material such as rubber. The upper ends are fixed to the arms 110b and 110c of the mounting part 110, while the lower ends are free.

[0095] A brush 100 like the brushes 50 and 51 may be used instead. The brush 100, like the brushes 50 and 51, can stop a coin Ci that has been moving away from the transport pin 31p, and then, when the transport pin 31p catches up to the coin Ci and pushes the coin Ci downstream in the transport direction by the transport pin 31p, it can allow the coin Ci to pass through in contact with the transport pin 31p.

[0096] [6-2. Other Embodiments 2] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, brushes 50 and 51 having bristle bundles 61b and 61c were used as regulating members. However, the invention is not limited to this, and regulating members other than brushes 50 and 51 may be used as regulating members.

[0097] For example, instead of brushes 50 and 51, a sheet made of an elastic material may be used as a regulating member. In this case, the sheet should be such that, like brushes 50 and 51, it does not deform when it comes into contact with a coin Ci that has moved away from the transport pin 31p and is pushed downstream in the transport direction, stopping the coin Ci, and deforms when it comes into contact with a coin Ci that is in contact with the transport pin 31p and is pushed downstream in the transport direction, allowing the coin Ci to pass.

[0098] Furthermore, the system is not limited to this, and a rod-shaped rotating member may be used as a regulating member instead of the brushes 50 and 51. In this case, the rotating member should be biased to a position that blocks the transport path R and contacts the coin Ci, and when it comes into contact with a coin Ci that has moved away from the transport pin 31p and is pushed downstream in the transport direction, it should stop the coin Ci without rotating due to the biasing force, and when it comes into contact with a coin Ci that is in contact with the transport pin 31p and is pushed downstream in the transport direction, it should rotate and allow the coin Ci to pass.

[0099] Furthermore, the system is not limited to this; instead of brushes 50 and 51, rollers may be used as regulating members. In this case, the rollers have a rotating shaft that extends in the width direction of the transport path R, are positioned to block the transport path R and contact the coin Ci, and are pressed against the transport surface Rb side (i.e., downward). The rollers should be configured such that when they come into contact with a coin Ci that has moved away from the transport pin 31p and are pushed downstream in the transport direction, they stop the coin Ci without rotating, and when they come into contact with a coin Ci that is in contact with the transport pin 31p and are pushed downstream in the transport direction, they rotate and are pushed upward, allowing the coin Ci to pass.

[0100] Furthermore, the system is not limited to this, and instead of brushes 50 and 51, high-friction members with a coefficient of friction greater than that of the transport surface Rb may be used as regulating members. In this case, the high-friction members are provided on the transport surface Rb located in front of the coin recognition unit 32 (recognition unit side transport surface RbA) and on the transport surface Rb located in front of the reject gate 33 (inclined surface RbC). Then, coins Ci that have moved away from the transport pin 31p are stopped by the frictional force of the high-friction members, while coins Ci that have come into contact with the transport pin 31p and are pushed by the transport pin 31p are allowed to pass through the high-friction members against the frictional force.

[0101] [6-3. Other Embodiments 3] In the embodiment described above, two bristle bundles 61b and 61c are arranged opposite each other in the width direction of the conveying path R, with the conveying belt 31b in between. In other words, the bristle bundles 61 are provided on both sides of the conveying belt 31b. However, this is not the only option; one bristle bundle 61 may be provided on one side of the conveying belt 31b instead of both sides. In this case, for example, one of the brushes 50 and 51 may be configured to have one bristle bundle 61 on one side of the conveying belt 31b, while the other brush may have bristle bundles 61b and 61c on both sides of the conveying belt 31b.

[0102] [6-4. Other Embodiments 4] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the recognition-side transport surface RbA and the gate-side transport surface RbB of the transport path R were made horizontal (i.e., parallel to the bottom surface of the deposit / withdrawal machine 1), but the invention is not limited to this, and these recognition-side transport surface RbA and gate-side transport surface RbB may be slightly inclined from the horizontal. In this case, the recognition-side transport surface RbA and the gate-side transport surface RbB may each be inclined surfaces that slope downward toward the downstream side in the transport direction. When the transport surface Rb is an inclined surface that slopes downward, the coin Ci becomes easier to separate from the transport pin 31p, and the effect of the brushes 50 and 51 becomes more pronounced.

[0103] [6-5. Other Embodiments 5] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, brushes 50 and 51 are provided in front of the coin recognition unit 32 and in front of the reject gate 33. However, the invention is not limited to this, and brushes 50 may be provided in front of the coin recognition unit 32 while brushes 51 may not be provided in front of the reject gate 33, or brushes 50 may not be provided in front of the coin recognition unit 32 while brushes 51 may be provided in front of the reject gate 33.

[0104] [6-6. Other Embodiments 6] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the present invention was applied to a coin processing device 10 having a coin recognition unit 32 and various gates on a transport path R, and a cash deposit / withdrawal machine 1 having the coin processing device 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to media processing devices other than the coin processing device 10, and media handling devices other than the cash deposit / withdrawal machine 1, which have various media processing units on a transport path for the media. Specifically, for example, it can also be applied to a coin processing device in a semi-self-service checkout machine.

[0105] Furthermore, while the present invention was applied to a coin processing device 10 and a deposit / withdrawal machine 1 in the embodiments described above, it is not limited to these, and the present invention can be applied to various media processing devices and media handling devices that handle media other than coins (for example, medals).

[0106] [6-7. Other Embodiments 7] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the embodiments described above and other embodiments, as well as embodiments that extract some of them. [Industrial applicability]

[0107] This invention can be used, for example, in a coin handling device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0108] 1... Deposit / withdrawal machine, 2... Device housing, 7... Coin slot, 8... Coin dispensing slot, 10... Coin processing device, 11... Coin insertion section, 12... Coin dispensing section, 13... Coin delivery section, 14... Deposit / transport section, 30... Transport guide, 30a... Guide side section, 30b... Guide transport surface section, 31... Pin belt, 31b... Transport belt, 31p... Transport pin, 31r... Regulating pin, 50, 51, 100... Brush, 60, 110... Mounting section, 61, 111... Bristle bundle, A, B... Range, Aw1... Transport direction, Ci... Coin, R... Transport path, R1... First section, R2... Second section, R3... Third section, R4... Fourth section, R5... Fifth section, Rb... Transport surface, RbA... Recognition section side transport surface, RbB... Gate side transport surface, RbC... Inclined surface.

Claims

1. A conveying guide that forms a conveying path having a first conveying region extending from the upstream side in the conveying direction of coins to the downstream side in the conveying direction and a second conveying region extending from the first conveying region to the downstream side in the conveying direction, A conveying pin that moves along the conveying path from the upstream side in the conveying direction toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, A regulating pin is provided at a predetermined interval on the downstream side of the transport pin in the transport direction, and moves along the transport path from the upstream side in the transport direction toward the downstream side in the transport direction together with the transport pin, A restricting unit is provided at a predetermined location in the first transport area to restrict the movement of the coin downstream in the transport direction. Equipped with, The aforementioned transport pin is In the first and second transport areas, while moving in a state where it can contact the coin, the coin is transported by contacting the upstream side of the coin in the transport direction and pushing the coin downstream in the transport direction. The aforementioned regulating pin is In the first transport area, the device moves without contacting the coin, and in the second transport area, while moving in a state where it can contact the coin, it contacts the downstream side of the coin in the transport direction, thereby preventing the coin from moving too far downstream from the transport pin in the transport direction. The aforementioned regulatory body, The movement of the coin downstream in the transport direction while it remains separated from the transport pin is restricted, thereby causing the coin to come into contact with the transport pin. The first conveying surface, which is the bottom surface of the first conveying area, is lower in the height direction than the second conveying surface, which is the bottom surface of the second conveying area. The length of the transport pin is set such that the lower end of the transport pin contacts the coins on the first transport surface and the coins on the second transport surface. The length of the regulating pin is set such that the lower end of the regulating pin does not come into contact with the coins on the first conveying surface but does come into contact with the coins on the second conveying surface. An inclined surface connecting the first conveying surface and the second conveying surface is provided on the first conveying area side of the connection portion between the first conveying area and the second conveying area. The aforementioned regulatory body, On the aforementioned inclined surface, it is located upstream in the transport direction from the point where the height distance from the regulating pin is equal to the thickness of the thickest coin among the coins being handled. A coin processing device characterized by the following features.

2. The first transport area is provided with a coin recognition unit for identifying coins, The aforementioned regulatory unit is designated as the first regulatory unit. The coin recognition unit further comprises a second restricting unit provided on the upstream side in the transport direction, which restricts the coin from moving downstream in the transport direction while separated from the transport pin, thereby causing the coin to come into contact with the transport pin. The coin processing device according to feature 1.

3. The system includes a gate provided on the second transport area side of the connection portion between the first transport area and the second transport area for switching the destination of the coins. The coin processing device according to feature 1.

4. The aforementioned regulatory body, The system includes an elastic member that contacts the coin. When the elastic member comes into contact with a coin moving away from the transport pin and is pushed downstream in the transport direction, it does not deform and stops the coin. When the elastic member comes into contact with a coin that is in contact with the transport pin and is pushed downstream in the transport direction, it deforms and allows the coin to pass through. The coin processing device according to feature 1.

5. The regulating portion has two of the elastic members, The two elastic members are, They are arranged opposite each other with a gap between them in the width direction of the transport path. The coin processing device according to feature 4.

6. The aforementioned transport pins are provided at regular intervals in the transport direction and move along the transport path. The aforementioned regulating pin is provided between the transport pins and moves along the transport path. The coin processing device according to feature 1.

7. Operation display unit, A coin processing device comprising: a conveying guide that forms a conveying path having a first conveying region extending from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the coin to the downstream side in the conveying direction and a second conveying region extending from the first conveying region to the downstream side in the conveying direction; a conveying pin that moves along the conveying path from the upstream side in the conveying direction to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying path; a regulating pin that is provided at a predetermined interval downstream of the conveying pin in the conveying direction and moves together with the conveying pin along the conveying path from the upstream side in the conveying direction to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying path; and a regulating part provided at a predetermined location in the first conveying region to restrict the movement of the coin to the downstream side in the conveying direction. Equipped with, The aforementioned transport pin is In the first and second transport areas, while moving in a state where it can contact the coin, the coin is transported by contacting the upstream side of the coin in the transport direction and pushing the coin downstream in the transport direction. The aforementioned regulating pin is In the first transport area, the device moves without contacting the coin, and in the second transport area, while moving in a state where it can contact the coin, it contacts the downstream side of the coin in the transport direction, thereby preventing the coin from moving too far downstream from the transport pin in the transport direction. The aforementioned regulatory body, The movement of the coin downstream in the transport direction while it remains separated from the transport pin is restricted, thereby causing the coin to come into contact with the transport pin. The first conveying surface, which is the bottom surface of the first conveying area, is lower in the height direction than the second conveying surface, which is the bottom surface of the second conveying area. The length of the transport pin is set such that the lower end of the transport pin contacts the coins on the first transport surface and the coins on the second transport surface. The length of the regulating pin is set such that the lower end of the regulating pin does not come into contact with the coins on the first conveying surface but does come into contact with the coins on the second conveying surface. An inclined surface connecting the first conveying surface and the second conveying surface is provided on the first conveying area side of the connection portion between the first conveying area and the second conveying area. The aforementioned regulatory body, On the aforementioned inclined surface, it is located upstream in the transport direction from the point where the height distance from the regulating pin corresponds to the thickness of the thickest coin among those being handled. A coin handling device characterized by the following features.

Images