Media processing device

Abstract

Provided is a media processing device comprising: a first guide that has a placement surface on which media are placed, and a first conveying guide surface continuous with the placement surface and formed along a conveying direction; a second guide that has a second conveying guide surface forming a conveying path for the media between the first conveying guide surface and the second conveying guide surface; a third guide that has a third guide surface and that is capable of transitioning to a closed state or an open state having different positions with respect to the placement surface; and a first conveying roller that is provided within the range of the placement surface in the first guide. The third guide is configured such that in the closed state, in which the third guide surface faces the placement surface, the third guide holds the media placed on the placement surface between the first conveying roller and the third guide, and in the open state, in which the third guide surface is pulled away from the placement surface, the sides of the media accumulated up to the height of the third guide surface, among the plurality of media accumulated on the placement surface, are supported by the third guide surface.

Description

Media Processing Device

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-082234, filed May 20, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present disclosure relates to a media processing device, and is applicable to systems used in checkouts or backrooms of retail stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores.

[0002] In recent years, for example, cash register change systems have become widespread in which a change machine that processes the deposit and withdrawal of banknotes (also called media) and coins is combined with a POS (Point Of Sales) register connected to a POS system, etc. Among these change machines, banknote processing devices (also called media processing devices) that process banknotes include a deposit and withdrawal unit that exchanges banknotes with a cashier, a transport unit that transports banknotes, a discrimination unit that discriminates the denomination and authenticity of inserted banknotes, and storage cabinets that store banknotes by denomination.

[0003] In such a change dispenser, for example, when a large amount of banknotes is to be deposited at once, a banknote sorting device has been proposed that has a configuration similar to that of a change dispenser, in which a large number of banknotes are placed in a stacked state in a deposit section and then separated and taken in individually (see, for example, JP 2018-2005079 A).

[0004] However, in a change dispenser, the number of banknotes deposited varies depending on the amount of the deposit process, etc. In other words, although the deposit unit configured as described above can efficiently deposit a large number of banknotes, the operation is cumbersome when depositing a small number of banknotes.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a media processing device that allows media to be easily inserted regardless of the number of sheets of media inserted.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a media processing device comprising a first guide having a loading surface on which paper-like media is placed and a first transport guide surface that is continuous with the loading surface and formed along a transport direction; a second guide having a second transport guide surface that faces the first transport guide surface of the first guide and forms a media transport path between it and the first transport guide surface; a third guide having a third guide surface that guides the media and that can transition to a closed state or an open state that has a different position relative to the loading surface; and a first transport roller that is provided within the loading surface of the first guide and transmits a driving force to the media in the transport direction, wherein in a closed state where the third guide surface faces the loading surface of the first guide, the third guide clamps the media placed at the loading location between itself and the first transport roller, and in an open state where the third guide surface is pulled away from the loading surface of the first guide, the guide surface supports the edges of media that have been accumulated up to the height of the third guide surface out of multiple media accumulated at the loading location.

[0007] The present disclosure provides that, when the third guide is in a closed state and the third guide surface is opposed to the placement surface, if a relatively small number of media are inserted between the third guide surface and the placement surface, the media can be fed in the conveyance direction by the rotation of the first conveyance roller.Furthermore, the present disclosure provides that, when the third guide is in an open state and pulled away from the placement surface, if a large number of media are stacked on the placement surface, the media can be fed in the conveyance direction by the rotation of the first conveyance roller while the edges of the media are supported by the third guide surface of the third guide.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to realize a media processing device that allows media to be easily inserted regardless of the number of inserted media.

[0009] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an external configuration of a cash processing device. FIG. 2 is a schematic left side view showing an internal configuration of a banknote processing device. FIG. 3 is a schematic left side view showing a configuration of a depositing unit. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration of an upper surface of a floor guide in the depositing unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic left side view showing a state in which a deposit port guide of the depositing unit is in an open state. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a deposit port guide of the depositing unit is in an open state. FIG. 7 is a schematic left side view showing a state in which a blockage stop lever of the depositing unit is in a progress allowing state. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a retraction monitoring sensor. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a depositing operation in a closed state. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a depositing operation in a closed state. FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a depositing operation in an open state. FIG. 12 is a schematic left side view showing a configuration of a depositing unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic left side view showing a state in which the depositing unit according to the second embodiment is in an open state.

[0010] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [1. First embodiment] [1-1. Configuration of cash processing device] As shown in the schematic external view of FIG. 1, a cash processing device 1 according to the first embodiment has an overall control device 3, a banknote processing device 5, and a coin processing device 6 incorporated in a housing 2, and a display operation unit 8 provided above them.

[0012] This cash processing device 1 is operated by a retail store staff member or a customer (hereinafter also referred to as a user) at a checkout (a so-called cash register) of a retail store such as a supermarket or convenience store when the customer is paying for products they wish to purchase. In the following description, the side facing the user and the opposite side are referred to as the front and rear, respectively, and left, right, and top and bottom are further defined as viewed from the user.

[0013] The overall control device 3 is mainly configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown, and controls the cash processing device 1 overall by reading and executing various programs such as a change dispensing program from a change storage unit (not shown) that stores various information, and performs various processes such as deposit transactions and withdrawal transactions. The CPU is an example of a processor.

[0014] The banknote processing device 5 is a part that performs various processes related to banknotes, and delivers banknotes to and from users, performs processes such as validating and counting the banknotes, and stores them separately by denomination.The coin processing device 6 is a part that performs various processes related to coins, and delivers coins to and from users, performs processes such as validating and counting the coins, and stores them separately by denomination.

[0015] The display operation unit 8 is configured as a touch panel, with a display unit such as a liquid crystal display and an operation unit such as a touch sensor placed on top of the liquid crystal display. The display operation unit 8 displays various information on the liquid crystal display, detects operation instructions from the user using the touch sensor, and notifies the overall control device 3.

[0016] [1-2. Configuration of the Banknote Processing Device] As shown in a schematic left side view in FIG. 2, the banknote processing device 5 is mostly covered on the outside by a box-shaped banknote processing device housing 10, and various mechanisms are incorporated inside.

[0017] The banknote processing device housing 10 is configured as a rectangular parallelepiped that is relatively long in the vertical direction overall, and a portion near the upper end of the front surface protrudes forward to form a front protrusion 10P. A protrusion opening 10PH is formed by opening a portion of the front protrusion 10P from the front side to the upper side, and exposes a deposit section 12 and a withdrawal section 13, which will be described later.

[0018] Inside the housing 2, there are provided a banknote control unit 11, a deposit unit 12, a withdrawal unit 13, a transport unit 14, a discrimination unit 15, three banknote storage boxes 16A, 16B and 16C, a collection box 17, and the like.

[0019] The banknote control unit 11 as a control unit is a part that performs overall control of the entire banknote processing device 5. This banknote control unit 11 is configured mainly by a CPU (not shown), and performs various processes such as deposit processing and withdrawal processing by reading and executing predetermined programs from a ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, etc. (not shown). The banknote control unit 11 also has an internal memory unit made up of a RAM (Random Access Memory), hard disk drive, flash memory, etc., and stores various information in this memory unit.

[0020] The deposit unit 12 is provided on the upper side of the front protrusion 10P inside the banknote processing device housing 10, and is the section where a user inserts one or more banknotes. When a user inserts banknotes, the deposit unit 12 takes in the inserted banknotes while separating them one by one, and delivers them to the transport unit 14 at the rear (details will be described later).

[0021] The withdrawal section 13 is provided on the lower side of the front protrusion 10P within the banknote processing device housing 10, i.e., on the lower side of the deposit section 12, and stores, for example, banknotes that cannot be deposited during the deposit process and are to be returned, and banknotes that are to be withdrawn during the withdrawal process, and allows the user to receive them.

[0022] The transport unit 14 is made up of transport guides, transport rollers, transport belts, a transport motor, etc. (not shown), and transports banknotes along a transport path W formed to connect each unit. The transport unit 14 is also provided with a plurality of switching units, and the transport path of banknotes can be changed by switching these switching units under the control of the banknote control unit 11.

[0023] Incidentally, each part within the banknote processing device 5, i.e., the deposit unit 12, the transport unit 14, etc., is configured on the premise that the banknotes are transported in an ideal posture in which the short sides of the banknotes are parallel to the transport direction. However, adjusting the banknotes to this ideal posture is not easy, and requires time and effort, making it extremely inefficient. Therefore, the banknote processing device 5 is designed with a so-called margin in mind so that the transport process, stacking process, etc. can be performed appropriately even for banknotes that are rotated within a certain angle range from the ideal posture.

[0024] Hereinafter, banknotes aligned within this angle range (for example, within ±3° or within +2 mm in distance) will be referred to as a proper posture. In other words, if banknotes are aligned in the proper posture in the conveyance unit 14, they can be conveyed smoothly with almost no jamming or other issues caused by the banknote posture.

[0025] The validation unit 15 validates the denomination, degree of damage, authenticity, etc. of the banknotes, and supplies the validation results obtained to the banknote control unit 11. In response to this, the banknote control unit 11 sets the transport route, transport destination, etc. of the banknotes, and controls the transport unit 14, etc. accordingly.

[0026] The banknote storage vaults 16A to 16C receive the banknotes transported by the transport unit 14, accumulate and store them therein, and also separate and feed the stored banknotes one by one, and hand them over to the transport unit 14. The collection vault 17 is configured to be detachable from the banknote processing device housing 10, and receives the banknotes transported by the transport unit 14, accumulates and stores them therein.

[0027] [1-3. Configuration of Deposit Unit] Next, the configuration of the deposit unit 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 etc. Fig. 3 is a schematic side view showing the deposit unit 12 as viewed from the left side. For convenience of explanation, some parts are omitted or simplified in Fig. 3, or cross sections are shown to show the internal structure and the relationships between the various parts. The same applies to the subsequent figures.

[0028] In this depositing section 12, a deposit transport path W12 is formed along a direction that is slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal, with the rear side lower than the front side, and various components are arranged above and below this deposit transport path W12. Also, Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing the portion of the depositing section 12 below the deposit transport path W12 as viewed from above.

[0029] The deposit transport path W12 represents a path for transporting banknotes, and is intended to transport banknotes inserted by a user at the front side from the front side to the rear-downward direction. Therefore, hereinafter, the rear-downward direction will also be referred to as the transport direction, the opposite front-upward direction will also be referred to as the reverse transport direction, and the left-right direction perpendicular to the transport direction will also be referred to as the width direction. Furthermore, the front-upward side of the deposit transport path W12 will also be referred to as the upstream side, and the rear-downward side will also be referred to as the downstream side.

[0030] Incidentally, the deposit unit 12 is designed to expect users to insert banknotes, which are leaf-shaped, rectangular media, with their long sides facing roughly to the front and back, their short sides facing roughly to the left and right, and their paper surfaces facing roughly up and down, and various displays are used to provide explanations and warnings to users. Thereafter, the deposit unit 12 takes in each banknote with its short sides roughly parallel to the transport direction and its long sides positioned at the front and rear, i.e., in the correct orientation, and transports it along the deposit transport path W12.

[0031] In addition, in the deposit section 12, each part provided within the deposit transport path W12 is configured to be approximately symmetrical on the left and right sides, centered on a virtual center line LV1 (Figure 4), which is a virtual center line in the left-right direction.

[0032] [1-3-1. Configuration of each guide] In the deposit section 12, a deposit floor guide 21 is provided below the deposit transport path W12, and a deposit upper guide 22 and a deposit port guide 23 are provided above the deposit transport path W12. In other words, in the deposit section 12, the space formed between the deposit floor guide 21 and the deposit upper guide 22 and deposit port guide 23 constitutes the deposit transport path W12.

[0033] The deposit floor guide 21 as the first guide has a deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, which is a generally flat surface, but is partially curved. The front portion of the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S is adapted to place banknotes to be inserted (i.e., deposited) by the user and faces one side of the banknote.

[0034] A plurality of rollers, optical sensors, etc. are incorporated inside the deposit floor guide 21 (details will be described later). As shown in Fig. 4, the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S is provided with holes for exposing parts of the various rollers described later, holes for passing various detection lights, etc.

[0035] In the following, the portion of the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, which is approximately the front half and does not face the deposit upper guide 22, will be referred to as the banknote placement surface 21SA or placement surface, and the portion of the rear half, which faces the deposit upper guide 22, will be referred to as the transport guide surface 21SB or first transport guide surface.

[0036] The deposit upper guide 22 as the second guide is disposed in a position opposite to the deposit transport path W12 and the transport guide surface 21SB, which is the rear portion of the deposit floor guide 21. The deposit upper guide lower surface 22S, which is the lower surface of this deposit upper guide 22, is generally flat, but is curved along the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, so that it is spaced at a substantially constant distance from the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S.

[0037] Similar to the deposit floor guide 21, the deposit upper guide 22 incorporates multiple rollers, optical sensors, etc. (details will be described later). Also, similar to the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, the deposit upper guide lower surface 22S is provided with holes for exposing parts of various rollers (described later) and holes for passing various detection lights.

[0038] Furthermore, the deposit upper guide front surface 22F, which is the front surface of the deposit upper guide 22, has a lower portion curved in an arc that is continuous with the deposit upper guide lower surface 22S, while the upper portion has a generally vertically flat portion. The deposit upper guide front surface 22F also has holes for exposing parts of various rollers (described later) and holes for passing various detection lights. Hereinafter, the deposit upper guide lower surface 22S will also be referred to as a second conveyance guide surface, and the deposit upper guide front surface 22F will also be referred to as a second accumulation support surface.

[0039] As shown in the schematic oblique view of Figure 6, the deposit upper guide front surface 22F of the deposit upper guide 22 has elongated groove portions 22D formed at multiple locations dispersed in the left-right direction along the curved surface leading to the deposit upper guide lower surface 22S.

[0040] The deposit port guide 23 (FIG. 3) serving as the third guide has a shape such that its front side is shorter (thinner) than its rear side in the vertical direction, i.e., it is generally wedge-shaped when viewed from the left and right, and is disposed in front of the deposit upper guide 22. Hereinafter, in the deposit port guide 23 in the state shown in FIG. 3, the portion that faces the banknote placement surface 21SA of the deposit floor guide 21 will be referred to as the deposit port guide guide surface 23S or the third guide surface. This deposit port guide guide surface 23S is generally flat and planar, approximately parallel to the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, and its length in the front-to-back direction is approximately half that of the banknote placement surface 21SA.

[0041] In the following description, the frontmost portion of the deposit port guide 23 will be referred to as the deposit port guide tip 23T. Furthermore, the gap formed between the deposit port guide tip 23T and the deposit floor guide 21, i.e., the frontmost (upstream) portion of the deposit transport path W12, will be referred to as the entrance 12N.

[0042] A plurality of rollers, optical components, etc. are incorporated inside the deposit port guide 23 (details will be described later). In addition, the deposit port guide guide surface 23S is provided with holes for exposing parts of the various rollers described later, holes for passing various detection lights, etc.

[0043] Furthermore, the deposit port guide 23 is supported by a deposit port guide rotation shaft X23 provided within the deposit port upper guide 22 so as to be rotatable relative to the deposit port upper guide 22. Specifically, the deposit port guide 23 is rotated by the user's operation within a range of approximately 90 degrees between a closed state in which the deposit port guide tip 23T is positioned forward with respect to the deposit port guide rotation shaft X23 as shown in Figure 3, and an open state in which the deposit port guide tip 23T is positioned above the deposit port guide rotation shaft X23 as shown in Figure 6.

[0044] In the deposit section 12, when viewed from the left and right, the rotation center of the deposit port guide rotation axis X23 is positioned to coincide with the center of the arc-shaped portion formed in the lower part of the deposit upper guide front surface 22F.

[0045] 5 and 6, the deposit port guide 23 is provided with elongated, rod-like protrusions 23P extending in the vertical direction and facing downward at locations corresponding to the grooves 22D at the lower end of the deposit port guide guide surface 23S in the open state. The protrusion guide surface 23PS, which is the front surface of the protrusions 23P, is part of a plane that is continuous with the deposit port guide guide surface 23S. Hereinafter, the lower end of the protrusion 23P will be referred to as the protrusion tip 23PT.

[0046] In this open state, the deposit port guide 23 has the vicinity of the projection tip 23PT of each projection 23P inserted into the groove 22D of the deposit upper guide 22. Also, in this open state, the projection guide surface 23PS is positioned in the front-to-rear direction at the same position as the upper portion of the deposit upper guide front surface 22F, or slightly to the rear and inserted slightly into the groove 22D. As a result, the deposit port guide 23 forms a continuous surface that is roughly aligned vertically with the deposit port guide guide surface 23S, the projection guide surface 23PS, and the deposit upper guide front surface 22F.

[0047] In the deposit section 12, in this open state, the deposit transport path W12 is formed only between the transport guide surface 21SB of the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S and the deposit upper guide lower surface 22S, and the deposit transport path W12 is slightly shorter compared to the closed state (Figure 3).

[0048] As described above, the rotation center of the deposit port guide rotation axis X23 is positioned to coincide with the center of the arc-shaped portion formed on the lower part of the deposit upper guide front surface 22F. Therefore, even in the closed state (FIG. 3), the deposit port guide 23 maintains a state in which the vicinity of the protrusion tip 23PT of each protrusion 23P is inserted into the groove 22D. In this closed state (FIG. 3), the deposit port guide 23 and deposit upper guide 22 form a continuous surface that faces the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, using the deposit port guide guide surface 23S, protrusion guide surface 23PS, and deposit upper guide lower surface 22S.

[0049] Furthermore, the deposit upper guide 22 is provided with an open / close sensor 22E, which generates an open / close signal indicating whether the deposit port guide 23 is closed or not and supplies the signal to the banknote control unit 11 (FIG. 2). In response to this, the banknote control unit 11 recognizes whether the deposit port guide 23 is closed or not based on the open / close signal obtained from the open / close sensor 22E, and performs various processes based on the obtained recognition result. Hereinafter, the open / close sensor 22E is also referred to as a third guide blockage detection unit.

[0050] The deposit port guide 23 is locked in a closed state (FIG. 3) by a locking mechanism (not shown) to restrict its rotation, and when the lock is released, rotation is permitted, enabling it to transition to an open state (FIG. 5). Below, the configuration of each part will be explained, focusing on the case when the deposit port guide 23 is in the closed state (FIG. 3).

[0051] The side guides 24L and 24R (FIG. 4) are provided on the left and right sides of the deposit floor guide 21, deposit upper guide 22, and deposit port guide 23, respectively, and regulate the left-right movement range of banknotes transported within the deposit transport path W12. In other words, the side guides 24L and 24R (hereinafter collectively referred to as side guides) define the left-right range of the deposit transport path W12.

[0052] [1-3-2. Configuration and Arrangement of Each Roller] The deposit unit 12 is provided with four types of rollers, namely, a picker roller 25, a picker opposing roller 26, a feed roller 27, and a feed opposing roller 28, which are separated and provided on the upper and lower sides of the deposit transport path W12.

[0053] The picker roller 25, which serves as the first transport roller, is incorporated inside the deposit floor guide 21 at a location below the deposit port guide 23. The picker roller 25 is formed in a cylindrical or disc shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and a high-friction member with a relatively high friction force is attached only to a portion of its outer periphery.

[0054] 4, a total of four picker rollers 25 are provided scattered across approximately the central one-third of the left-right range of the deposit unit 12. Each picker roller 25 (FIG. 3) is inserted at its center into a picker roller rotation axis X25 that is shaped like a long, thin cylinder or rod and extends along the left-right direction.

[0055] The picker roller rotation axis X25 is supported so as to be freely rotatable by the deposit floor guide 21, and rotates integrally with the four picker rollers 25. Only a portion near the upper end of each picker roller 25 protrudes above the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S.

[0056] Picker-facing rollers 26 as first facing rollers are incorporated inside deposit port guide 23, above picker rollers 25, at locations facing picker rollers 25. Furthermore, picker-facing rollers 26 are provided in deposit unit 12 at four locations spaced apart in the left-right direction, facing the four picker rollers 25, respectively.

[0057] The picker facing rollers 26 are inserted at their centers onto picker facing roller rotation shafts X26 that are slender and cylindrical or rod-shaped and extend in the left-right direction, and are able to rotate freely about the picker facing roller rotation shafts X26. Only a portion of each picker facing roller 26 near its lower end protrudes below the deposit port guide surface 23S.

[0058] Furthermore, the picker opposing roller rotation axis X26 is supported by the deposit port guide 23 via a spring S26, and is urged toward the picker roller 25. Therefore, in the deposit unit 12, the picker opposing rollers 26 are brought into contact with the picker rollers 25 in the deposit transport path W12, and when a banknote is present in the deposit transport path W12, the banknote can be sandwiched between the picker roller 25 and the picker opposing roller 26.

[0059] The feed roller 27, which serves as the second conveying roller, is incorporated into the deposit floor guide 21 at a location behind the picker roller 25. The feed roller 27 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and like the picker roller 25, a high-friction member is attached to only a portion of its outer periphery.

[0060] 4, two feed rollers 27 are provided spaced apart within approximately the central one-third of the left-right range of the depositing unit 12. Each feed roller 27 (FIG. 3) has its center inserted into a feed roller rotation shaft X27 that is shaped like a long, thin cylinder or rod and extends along the left-right direction.

[0061] Like the picker roller rotation axis X25, the feed roller rotation axis X27 is supported so as to be freely rotatable by the deposit floor guide 21, and rotates integrally with the two feed rollers 27. Also, like the picker rollers 25, only a portion near the upper end of each feed roller 27 protrudes above the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S.

[0062] The feed opposing roller 28 as the second opposing roller is incorporated inside the deposit upper guide 22, above the feed roller 27, at a location opposing the feed roller 27. Furthermore, the deposit unit 12 is provided with two feed opposing rollers 28 at locations spaced apart in the left-right direction and opposing the two feed rollers 27, respectively.

[0063] A feed opposing roller rotation shaft X28, which is shaped like a thin column or rod and extends in the left-right direction, is inserted through the center of each feed opposing roller 28. The feed opposing roller rotation shaft X28 is supported so as to be freely rotatable by the deposit upper guide 22, and rotates integrally with the two feed opposing rollers 28. As shown in FIG. 6 , a portion of each feed opposing roller 28 extending from the vicinity of the lower end to the vicinity of the front end thereof protrudes downward or forward from the lower curved portion of the deposit upper guide lower surface 22S or the deposit upper guide front surface 22F.

[0064] For this reason, in the deposit section 12, the feed opposing roller 28 is abutted against or placed very close to the feed roller 27 within the deposit conveying path W12, and if there is a banknote within the deposit conveying path W12, the banknote can be clamped between the feed roller 27 and the feed opposing roller 28.

[0065] Furthermore, the deposit unit 12 is provided with a deposit motor 29. This deposit motor 29 transmits driving force to the picker roller rotation shaft X25 and the feed roller rotation shaft X27 via a transmission mechanism (not shown) composed of a plurality of gears and the like.

[0066] When the depositing unit 12 transports banknotes in the transport direction using the picker roller 25 or the like, it can rotate the picker roller 25 and the feed roller 27 in the direction of arrow R2 by rotating the depositing motor 29 in a predetermined forward direction under the control of the banknote control unit 11 (FIG. 2). When the depositing unit 12 transports banknotes in the reverse transport direction using the picker roller 25 or the like, it can rotate the picker roller 25 and the feed roller 27 in the direction of arrow R1 by rotating the depositing motor 29 in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction under the control of the banknote control unit 11 (FIG. 2).

[0067] Hereinafter, the locations on the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S (Figure 4) where each picker roller 25 and each picker opposing roller 26 clamps banknotes will be referred to as picker locations P25A, P25B, P25C and P25D, and these will be collectively referred to as picker locations or first clamping locations.

[0068] Furthermore, in the following, the points on the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S (Figure 4) where each feed roller 27 and each feed opposing roller 28 clamp the banknotes are referred to as feed points P27A and P27B, and these are collectively referred to as feed points or second clamping points.

[0069] [1-3-3. Configuration and Arrangement of Blocking Lever] In addition to the above configuration, the deposit unit 12 (FIG. 3) is provided with blocking levers 30A, 30B, and 30C as blocking units at three positions spaced apart in the left-right direction inside the deposit floor guide 21.

[0070] The left blocking lever 30A is located slightly to the left of the feed roller 27 and the picker roller 25. In other words, when viewed from the imaginary center line LV1, which is an imaginary center line in the left-right direction, the blocking lever 30A is located outside (i.e., farther away from) the feed roller 27 and the picker roller 25.

[0071] The central blocking lever 30B is located on the imaginary center line LV1, i.e., between the two feed rollers 27. The right blocking lever 30C is located at a position symmetrical to the blocking lever 30A with the imaginary center line LV1 as the axis of symmetry.

[0072] The blocking levers 30A, 30B, and 30C are configured similarly to one another, and differ only in their positions in the left-right direction. Therefore, hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as blocking levers 30, and their configuration will be described.

[0073] The block lever 30 has a shape like a long, narrow rectangular pillar extending in the front-to-rear direction, with approximately one-third of its length curved downward to protrude toward the center in the front-to-rear direction. That is, the block lever 30 is broadly divided into a straight portion connecting the upper front side and the lower rear side, an arc-shaped portion that corresponds to approximately one-quarter of a circle, and a straight portion connecting the lower front side and the upper rear side. Hereinafter, the portion of the block lever 30 near its front end will be referred to as a root portion 31, and the portion near its rear end will be referred to as a tip portion 32.

[0074] As shown in Figure 4, holes are provided at three locations on the top surface 21S of the deposit floor guide slightly forward of the feed roller rotation axis X27 for inserting the tip 32 of the blocking lever 30, and a portion of the tip 32 protrudes above the top surface 21S of the deposit floor guide, i.e., into the deposit conveying path W12 (Figure 3).

[0075] Hereinafter, the points on the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S (Figure 4) where the blocking levers 30A, 30B and 30C protrude into the deposit transport path W12 will be referred to as blocking points P30A, P30B and P30C, respectively, and these will be collectively referred to as blocking points.

[0076] The blocking lever 30 has a pivot shaft 34 at its base 31, and can pivot around the pivot shaft 34 within a relatively narrow range, thereby displacing the tip 32 generally in the vertical direction.

[0077] Specifically, when the blocking lever 30 is rotated to the maximum in the direction of arrow R1 in Fig. 3, a part of the tip 32 protrudes above the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S and the deposit port guide surface 23S, as shown in Fig. 3, and the blocking lever 30 is in a state where it blocks (suppresses) the progress of banknotes in the deposit transport path W12. Hereinafter, this state will be referred to as the blocking state.

[0078] On the other hand, when the blocking lever 30 is rotated to the maximum in the direction of the arrow R2 in Fig. 3, the tip 32 is retracted below the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, as shown in Fig. 7, and the progress of banknotes in the deposit conveying path W12 is not impeded (the progress is permitted). Hereinafter, this state will be referred to as the progress permitting state.

[0079] Furthermore, a driving force is supplied to the vicinity of the blocking lever 30 from a blocking drive unit 36 ​​via a drive transmission unit 35 made up of a plurality of gears or the like. This blocking drive unit 36 ​​is, for example, a stepping motor, and drives or stops in a direction based on the control of the banknote control unit 11. This allows the blocking lever 30 to transition to a blocking state (FIG. 3) or a progress-permitting state (FIG. 7).

[0080] In the depositing unit 12, when the depositing port guide 23 is in the blocked state (FIG. 3), the blocking lever 30 is shifted to the blocked state (FIG. 3) in advance to block the newly inserted banknote. After that, when the sensors described later determine that the banknote can be taken in, the depositing unit 12 shifts the blocking lever 30 to the advance allowing state (FIG. 7) to take in the banknote.

[0081] Furthermore, in the deposit unit 12, when the deposit port guide 23 is in the open state (FIG. 5), it is assumed that banknotes placed on the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S are taken in while being separated by the feed roller 27, and at this time, the blocking lever 30 may interfere with the separating operation. Therefore, in the deposit unit 12, when the opening / closing sensor 22E detects that the deposit port guide 23 has been put into the open state (FIG. 5) by the user, the blocking lever 30 is transitioned to the advancement permitting state (FIG. 7) based on the control of the banknote control unit 11.

[0082] [1-3-4. Configuration and Arrangement of Each Sensor] Furthermore, the deposit unit 12 is provided with a pull-in monitoring sensor 40, three insertion detection sensors 50A, 50B, and 50C, and five banknote verification sensors 60A, 60B, 60C, 60D, and 60E (hereinafter collectively referred to as the medium detection unit). The configuration and arrangement of each of these sensors, as well as their respective roles, will be described below.

[0083] [1-3-4-1. Configuration and arrangement of the withdrawal monitoring sensor] The withdrawal monitoring sensor 40 (Fig. 3) is composed of a light-emitting unit 41 and a light-receiving unit 43 provided in the deposit floor guide 21, and a prism 42 provided in the deposit port guide 23. Of these, the light-emitting unit 41 and the light-receiving unit 43 need to be connected to a predetermined circuit board or the like by electrical wiring, although this is not shown in the figure.

[0084] The light-emitting unit 41 is disposed in front of the picker roller rotation axis X25 within the deposit floor guide 21 and slightly away to the left of the center in the left-right direction, and emits detection light diagonally upward and rearward. This detection light travels in a straight line diagonally upward and rearward from the light-emitting unit 41, passes through a passage hole provided in the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S and a passage hole provided in the deposit port guide guide surface 23S, and is incident on the prism 42. Hereinafter, the location of the passage hole provided in the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S will be referred to as the withdrawal monitoring location P40A.

[0085] 8, the prism 42 is configured as a rectangular parallelepiped elongated in the left-right direction as a whole, and the upper portions of the left and right ends are obliquely cut away to form reflecting surfaces. When detection light enters the left side of the lower surface of this prism 42, it is reflected by the left reflecting surface and travels to the right, and the detection light is further reflected by the right reflecting surface and travels diagonally downward again.

[0086] This detection light travels in a straight line from near the right end on the lower surface of the prism 42 diagonally downward and forward, passes through a passage hole provided in the deposit port guide surface 23S and a passage hole provided in the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, and travels into the deposit floor guide 21. Hereinafter, the location of the passage hole provided in the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S will be referred to as the withdrawal monitoring location P40B.

[0087] The light receiving unit 43 is located in front of the picker roller rotation axis X25 within the deposit floor guide 21 and slightly to the right of the center in the left-right direction, and receives detection light traveling from diagonally above and behind. The light receiving unit 43 also generates a light reception signal according to the amount of detection light received, and notifies the banknote control unit 11 of this signal as the detection result.

[0088] In response to this, if the signal level of the light reception signal is below a predetermined threshold, the banknote control unit 11 determines that the detection light has been blocked at at least one of the pull-in monitoring points P40A and P40B, and recognizes that a part of the banknote is located at at least one of the pull-in monitoring points P40A and P40B. Hereinafter, the state in which the detection light is blocked at the pull-in monitoring sensor 40 and the signal level of the light reception signal is below a predetermined threshold will be expressed as "on," and the opposite state in which the detection light is not blocked will be expressed as "off." Similar expressions will be used for the other sensors.

[0089] In the deposit unit 12, under the control of the banknote control unit 11, when the retraction monitoring sensor 40 turns on while no banknotes have been deposited and the picker rollers 25 and other devices are stationary, the deposit unit 12 recognizes that a new banknote has been inserted into the entrance unit 12N by the user and begins to rotate the picker rollers 25 and other devices.

[0090] [1-3-4-2. Configuration and Arrangement of Insertion Detection Sensors] The three insertion detection sensors 50A, 50B, and 50C have the same configuration and are provided at three locations spaced apart in the left-right direction. Hereinafter, the insertion detection sensors 50 will also be simply referred to as detection units.

[0091] The left insertion detection sensor 50A is provided in a position slightly to the left of the feed roller 27, the picker roller 25, and the blocking lever 30A in the left-right direction. In other words, the insertion detection sensor 50A is located outside (i.e., farther away from) the feed roller 27, the picker roller 25, and the blocking lever 30A when viewed from the imaginary center line LV1 in the left-right direction.

[0092] The central insertion detection sensor 50B is located on the imaginary center line LV1 in the left-right direction, i.e., between the two feed rollers 27. The right insertion detection sensor 50C is located symmetrically to the insertion detection sensor 50A with the imaginary center line LV1 as the axis of symmetry.

[0093] The insertion detection sensors 50A, 50B, and 50C are configured similarly to one another, and differ only in their positions in the left-right direction. Therefore, hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as the insertion detection sensor 50, and their configurations will be described.

[0094] The insertion detection sensor 50 is composed of a light-emitting unit 51 provided inside the deposit floor guide 21 and a light-receiving unit 52 provided inside the deposit upper guide 22. The light-emitting unit 51 is disposed in front of the feed roller rotation axis X27 inside the deposit floor guide 21, and similar to the light-emitting unit 41 of the pull-in monitoring sensor 40, emits detection light diagonally upward and rearward.

[0095] This detection light travels in a straight line from the light-emitting unit 51 diagonally upward and rearward, passes through a passage hole provided in the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, and passes through the deposit transport path W12. Hereinafter, the locations of the passage holes provided in the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S will be referred to as insertion detection locations P50A, P50B, and P50C.

[0096] The detection light then passes through the gap between the deposit port guide guiding surface 23S and the deposit upper guide lower surface 22S, passes through a passage hole provided in the deposit upper guide front surface 22F, and is incident on and received by the light receiving unit 52 provided in the deposit upper guide 22. Similar to the light receiving unit 43 of the pull-in monitoring sensor 40, the light receiving unit 52 generates a light receiving signal according to the amount of detection light received, and notifies the banknote control unit 11 of this as the detection result.

[0097] In response to this, if the signal level of the light reception signal notified from the insertion detection sensor 50A is below a predetermined threshold, for example, the banknote control unit 11 determines that the detection light has been blocked at the insertion detection point P50A and recognizes that part of the banknote is located at the insertion detection point P50A. The banknote control unit 11 can also independently recognize whether part of the banknote is located at the insertion detection points P50B and P50C based on the light reception signals notified from the insertion detection sensors 50B and 50C.

[0098] These insertion detection points P50A, P50B, and P50C are located between the picker roller 25 and the blocking lever 30 in the conveying direction, and in the vicinity of the blocking lever 30. Furthermore, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 11, these insertion detection points P50A, P50B, and P50C are located at positions that are turned on by a banknote BL when the deposit port guide 23 is in the open state and the banknote BL is placed toward the rear of the banknote placement surface 21SA.

[0099] For convenience of explanation, hereinafter, the insertion detection point P50B located relatively inside in the left-right direction will also be referred to as the inside detection point, and the insertion detection points P50A and P50C located relatively outside will also be referred to as the outside detection points.

[0100] In the depositing unit 12, under the control of the banknote control unit 11, when the blocking lever 30 is in the blocking state (FIG. 3) and the picker rollers 25 and the like are rotating in response to the insertion of banknotes, the depositing unit 12 checks the detection status of the banknotes using the insertion detection sensors 50. At this time, if the detection status of the insertion detection sensors 50 satisfies predetermined progress permitting conditions and the banknotes are in the aligned state, the banknote control unit 11 transitions the blocking lever 30 in the depositing unit 12 to the progress permitting state (FIG. 6) and starts taking in the banknotes.

[0101] [1-3-4-3. Configuration and Arrangement of Banknote Verification Sensors] The five banknote verification sensors 60A, 60B, 60C, 60D, and 60E (hereinafter collectively referred to as banknote verification sensors 60) are all configured in a manner similar to the insertion detection sensor 50, except for their arrangement within the deposit unit 12.

[0102] That is, the banknote confirmation sensors 60A, 60B, 60C, 60D and 60E are arranged so that their respective passage holes, which are provided on the upper surface 21S (Figure 4) of the deposit floor guide to allow their respective detection lights to pass through, pass through banknote confirmation points P60A, P60B, P60C, P60D and P60E (hereinafter collectively referred to as banknote confirmation points).

[0103] The five banknote confirmation points P60A to P60E are all located slightly rearward from the feed roller rotation axis X27, and are arranged from left to right in the order of banknote confirmation points P60A, P60B, P60C, P60D, and P60E, with a certain amount of space between each other. However, in the front-to-rear direction, only banknote confirmation point P60C is located slightly forward of the other banknote confirmation points P60A, P60B, P60D, and P60E.

[0104] Each banknote verification sensor 60 generates a light reception signal according to the amount of detection light received by its light receiving unit, and notifies the banknote control unit 11 of this signal as the detection result. In response, the banknote control unit 11 can independently determine whether or not a part of a banknote is located at each banknote verification location, just like the insertion detection sensor 50.

[0105] In the depositing unit 12, under the control of the banknote control unit 11, when the blocking lever 30 is in the advancement permitting state ( FIG. 6 ) and banknotes are being transported backward by the feed rollers 27 etc., the banknote confirmation sensors 60 check the detection status of the banknotes. At this time, if the detection status of each banknote confirmation sensor 60 matches a predetermined detection pattern, the banknote control unit 11 determines that a legitimate banknote has not been transported, and rotates the feed rollers 27 etc. in the depositing unit 12 in the reverse direction to transport the banknote in the opposite direction and return the banknote to the user.

[0106] [1-4. Depositing banknotes] Next, we will explain the depositing operation in the depositing unit 12. The depositing unit 12 performs different depositing operations when the deposit port guide 23 is in a closed state (FIG. 3) and when it is in an open state (FIG. 5).

[0107] [1-4-1. Deposit Operation in Blocked State] In the banknote processing device 5, when a user attempts to deposit a relatively small number of banknotes (for example, 10 or less), the user operates the deposit port guide 23 of the deposit unit 12, causing the state to transition to the blocked state as shown in Fig. 9, which corresponds to Fig. 3. Furthermore, when the banknote control unit 11 recognizes that the deposit port guide 23 of the deposit unit 12 has entered the blocked state based on the open / close signal obtained from the open / close sensor 22E, it begins monitoring the banknotes using the pull-in monitoring sensor 40. Furthermore, the banknote control unit 11 transitions the blocking lever 30 to the blocked state (Fig. 3).

[0108] In this closed state, the deposit section 12 has the deposit port guide tip 23T positioned in front of the deposit port guide rotation axis X23, and the deposit port guide guide surface 23S faces the banknote placement surface 21SA of the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S. Also, at this time, the deposit port guide 23 and deposit upper guide 22, as described above, form a continuous surface (curved surface) that faces the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S with the deposit port guide guide surface 23S, the protrusion guide surface 23PS, and the deposit upper guide lower surface 22S.

[0109] In the depositing unit 12, when a user places a relatively small number of stacked banknotes BL on the front portion of the banknote placement surface 21SA and then pushes them further rearward, the banknotes BL turn on the pull-in monitoring sensor 40. Then, the depositing unit 12 starts a depositing operation under the control of the banknote control unit 11, and the picker roller 25 and feed roller 27 start rotating.

[0110] As a result, as shown in Figure 10, the deposit section 12 first transports the stack of banknotes BL backward (i.e., in the transport direction) using the picker roller 25 and the picker opposing roller 26, and then transports the banknotes BL diagonally downward backward (in the transport direction) while separating them one by one using the feed roller 27 and the feed opposing roller 28.

[0111] Furthermore, in the blocked state (FIG. 3), the deposit unit 12 starts rotating the picker roller 25 etc. to transport the banknote BL in the transport direction and bring it into contact with the blocked lever 30. Furthermore, when two or more of the three insertion detection sensors 50, including the insertion detection position P50B (FIG. 4), are turned on, the blocked lever 30 is transitioned to the advance-permitting state (FIG. 7).

[0112] As a result, even if the short side of the banknote BL is inclined (i.e., slanted) relative to the transport direction when it is placed on the banknote placement surface 21SA, the deposit section 12 can align the short side in the correct position, approximately parallel to the transport direction, and then take in and transport the banknote BL.

[0113] [1-4-2. Deposit Operation in Open State] On the other hand, in the banknote processing device 5, when a user attempts to deposit a relatively large number of banknotes (for example, around 300), the user operates the deposit port guide 23 of the deposit unit 12, causing the state to transition to the open state as shown in Figure 11, which corresponds to Figures 5 and 6. Furthermore, when the banknote control unit 11 recognizes, based on the open / close signal obtained from the open / close sensor 22E, that the deposit port guide 23 of the deposit unit 12 is no longer in the closed state, i.e., has transitioned to the open state, it begins monitoring the banknotes using the insertion detection sensor 50. Furthermore, the banknote control unit 11 transitions the blockage lever 30 to the advancement permitting state, as shown by the dashed line in the figure.

[0114] In this open state, the deposit section 12 has the deposit port guide tip 23T positioned above the deposit port guide rotation axis X23, and the deposit port guide guide surface 23S is separated from the banknote placement surface 21SA of the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S. Also, at this time, the deposit port guide 23 and deposit upper guide 22 form a continuous curved surface that is generally along the vertical direction, with the deposit port guide guide surface 23S, the protrusion guide surface 23PS, and the deposit upper guide front surface 22F, as described above.

[0115] In the deposit unit 12, when a user places a relatively large stack of banknotes BL on the rear portion of the banknote placement surface 21SA and each side of the banknotes BL abuts (leans against) the deposit port guide guiding surface 23S, the protrusion guiding surface 23PS and the deposit upper guide front surface 22F, the banknotes BL turn on the insertion detection sensor 50. Then, the deposit unit 12 starts a deposit operation under the control of the banknote control unit 11, and the picker roller 25 and feed roller 27 start to rotate.

[0116] As a result, as shown in Figure 12, the deposit section 12 transports the portion of the stacked banknotes BL near the bottom surface backward (i.e., in the conveying direction) using the picker roller 25, and then transports the banknotes BL diagonally downward backward (in the conveying direction) while separating them one by one using the feed roller 27 and the feed opposing roller 28.

[0117] At this time, in the depositing unit 12, due to the relationship between the driving force applied by the picker roller 25 and the feed roller 27 and the frictional force acting between the banknotes BL, the portion of the stack near the bottom end of the stack stacked in the vertical direction shifts rearward and leans against the deposit upper guide front surface 22F and the feed opposing roller 28. In this case, the deposit upper guide front surface 22F and the like prevent the stacked shape of the stack of banknotes BL from being distorted more than a certain extent, and the picker roller 25 and the like can stably transport the stack. Also, in the depositing unit 12, when a user places banknotes BL on the banknote placing surface 21SA, the portion of the stack of banknotes BL near the bottom end may be pressed rearward to match the shape of the deposit upper guide front surface 22F and the like.

[0118] [1-5. Effects, etc.] In the above-described configuration, the banknote processing device 5 of the cash processing device 1 according to the first embodiment is configured so that the deposit port guide 23 of the deposit unit 12 is rotatable relative to the deposit upper guide 22, and can be transitioned to a closed state ( FIG. 3 , etc.) or an open state ( FIG. 5 , etc.) by a user's operation.

[0119] When the deposit section 12 is in a closed state (e.g., as shown in Figure 3), when a relatively small number of banknotes BL stacked near the front of the banknote placement surface 21SA is inserted into the entrance section 12N, the banknote processing device 5 sends the banknotes BL stack in the conveying direction by rotating the picker rollers 25, etc., and then takes them in one by one by the feed rollers 27, etc., and conveys them along the deposit conveying path W12.

[0120] Furthermore, when the deposit section 12 is in an open state (e.g., as shown in Figure 5), if a relatively large number of banknotes BL are placed near the rear of the banknote placement surface 21SA, the banknote processing device 5 sends the lowest banknotes BL in the conveying direction by rotating the picker roller 25, etc., and then takes them in one by one by the feed roller 27, etc., and conveys them along the deposit conveying path W12.

[0121] In this way, the banknote processing device 5 can properly deposit banknotes BL placed on the banknote placement surface 21SA in both the closed state and the open state.

[0122] Incidentally, when the cash processing device 1 is used for settlement or the like by a customer or the like of a retail store, that is, when such a customer or the like is the user, it is considered that there is a high possibility that a relatively small number of banknotes BL will be deposited. In addition, it is generally assumed that such a customer or the like is unfamiliar with operating the cash processing device 1.

[0123] In this case, the banknote processing device 5 sets the deposit section 12 in a closed state (e.g., Figure 3) in advance, so that an inexperienced user only needs to place a small number of banknotes BL on the banknote placement surface 21SA of the deposit section 12 and insert them into the entrance section 12N.

[0124] From another perspective, when the deposit unit 12 is in the closed state (e.g., as shown in FIG. 3 ), the picker roller 25, feed roller 27, etc. are covered by the deposit port guide 23. This allows the banknote processing device 5 to prevent an inexperienced user from coming into contact with the picker roller 25, etc. while it is rotating.

[0125] On the other hand, when the cash processing device 1 is used for the purpose of replenishing banknotes for change, for example, by an employee of a retail store, that is, when such an employee is the user, it is considered that a relatively large number of banknotes BL may be deposited at one time. In addition, such an employee generally operates the cash processing device 1 repeatedly in the course of daily work, and is therefore assumed to be proficient in operating the cash processing device 1.

[0126] In this case, the banknote processing device 5 allows a user (an employee, etc.) to transition the deposit section 12 to an open state (e.g., Figure 5), and has an experienced user place a stack of banknotes BL containing a large number of banknotes on the banknote placement surface 21SA of the deposit section 12.

[0127] From another perspective, when the deposit unit 12 is in an open state (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5 ), the picker roller 25, feed roller 27, etc. are exposed. However, since it is considered that the users, such as employees, are skilled in operating the banknote processing device 5, it is extremely unlikely that they will unnecessarily touch the picker roller 25, etc., and this can contribute to improving work efficiency by allowing a large number of banknotes to be placed at once.

[0128] Furthermore, when detecting the banknotes BL placed on the banknote placement surface 21SA, the depositing unit 12 uses the pull-in monitoring sensor 40 if it is in the closed state (FIG. 3), and uses the insertion detection sensor 50 if it is in the open state (FIG. 5). Therefore, in both the closed state and the open state, the banknote processing device 5 can properly detect the banknotes BL placed on the banknote placement surface 21SA of the depositing unit 12, and can properly take in the banknotes BL.

[0129] In addition, in the deposit unit 12, in the lead-in monitoring sensor 40 (FIGS. 3 and 8, etc.), the light-emitting unit 41 and the light-receiving unit 43, which require electrical wiring, are disposed inside the deposit floor guide 21, and the prism 42, which does not require electrical wiring, is disposed in the deposit port guide 23. As a result, the banknote processing device 5 does not need to run electrical wiring between the deposit upper guide 22 and the rotating deposit port guide 23, and there is no need to bend or stretch the electrical wiring when the deposit port guide 23 rotates, so it is possible to structurally eliminate factors that could cause problems such as broken wires. Furthermore, because the banknote processing device 5 does not require electrical wiring in the deposit port guide 23, the deposit port guide 23 can be made smaller and lighter than in the case where such electrical wiring is provided, and opening and closing operations can also be made easier.

[0130] According to the above configuration, the banknote processing device 5 of the cash processing device 1 according to the first embodiment is configured so that the deposit port guide 23 of the deposit unit 12 is rotatable relative to the deposit upper guide 22, and can be transitioned to a closed state or an open state by a user's operation. When a relatively small number of banknotes BL are inserted into the entrance 12N in the closed state, or when a relatively large bundle of banknotes BL is placed on the banknote placing surface 21SA in the open state, the banknote processing device 5 sends out the banknotes BL in the conveying direction by the picker roller 25, separates them one by one by the feed roller 27, and conveys them along the deposit conveying path W12. Therefore, the banknote processing device 5 can properly deposit banknotes BL placed on the banknote placing surface 21SA in both the closed state and the open state.

[0131] [2. Second embodiment] A cash processing device 201 according to the second embodiment differs from the cash processing device 1 according to the first embodiment in that it has a banknote processing device 205 instead of the banknote processing device 5, but is otherwise configured similarly. The banknote processing device 205 differs from the banknote processing device 5 according to the first embodiment in that it has a banknote control unit 211 and a deposit unit 212 instead of the banknote control unit 11 and the deposit unit 12, but is otherwise configured similarly.

[0132] The banknote control unit 211 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, a storage unit, etc. (not shown) like the banknote control unit 11, but executes some processes that are different from those of the banknote control unit 11.

[0133] As shown in Fig. 13 which corresponds to Fig. 3, deposit unit 212 differs from deposit unit 12 (Fig. 3) according to the first embodiment in that it omits open / close sensor 22E and omits a locking mechanism (not shown) that maintains deposit port guide 23 in a closed state, while having deposit port guide drive unit 280 inside deposit upper guide 22. Note that deposit unit 212 is configured similarly to deposit unit 12 in other respects.

[0134] The deposit port guide drive unit 280 serving as the third guide drive unit is made up of a deposit port guide drive motor 281, an output gear 282, a relay gear 283, and a guide fixed gear 284. The deposit port guide drive motor 281 is attached to the deposit upper guide 22, and the output gear 282 is attached to an output shaft 281X. Based on the control of the banknote control unit 211, this deposit port guide drive motor 281 rotates the output shaft 281X to generate drive force.

[0135] The relay gear 283 is configured in the same manner as a general gear, with its center portion rotatably supported and meshed with the output gear 282. The guide fixing gear 284 is formed in a sector shape, for example, equivalent to about 1 / 3 of a circle, and is fixed to a component on the deposit port guide 23 side. The arc portion of this guide fixing gear 284 is shaped along an arc with its center at the deposit port guide rotation axis 23X, and has gears (teeth) formed thereon, which mesh with the relay gear 283.

[0136] This deposit port guide drive unit 280 generates a driving force using a deposit port guide drive motor 281 based on the control of the banknote control unit 211, and transmits this driving force from an output gear 282 via a relay gear 283 to a guide fixed gear 284, thereby rotating the deposit port guide 23 together with the guide fixed gear 284.

[0137] For example, when the deposit port guide 23 is in the closed state as shown in Fig. 13, if the deposit port guide drive unit 280 rotates the output shaft 281X and output gear 282 of the deposit port guide drive motor 281 in the direction of arrow R2, it rotates the relay gear 283 in the direction of arrow R1 and rotates the deposit port guide 23 in the direction of arrow R2 together with the guide fixed gear 284. As a result, the deposit port guide 23 can transition to the open state as shown in Fig. 14.

[0138] 14, when the deposit port guide 23 is in the open state, if the output shaft 281X and output gear 282 of the deposit port guide drive motor 281 are rotated in the direction of arrow R1, the deposit port guide drive unit 280 rotates the relay gear 283 in the direction of arrow R2, and rotates the deposit port guide 23 in the direction of arrow R1 together with the guide fixed gear 284. As a result, the deposit port guide 23 can transition to the closed state.

[0139] Furthermore, the banknote control unit 211 works in cooperation with the overall control device 3 (Figure 1) to display a predetermined operation screen on the display operation unit 8, thereby accepting operations from the user regarding the state transition of the deposit port guide 23.

[0140] This operation screen is displayed only when a special operation input is made on a menu screen or the like displayed on the display operation unit 8 when the cash processing device 201 is in a standby state. This special operation input is only known to employees of the retail store and is not known to general customers. This operation screen is provided with, for example, an "open button" and a "block button" using a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

[0141] That is, when the deposit port guide 23 of the deposit unit 12 is in a closed state (Figure 13), and the banknote control unit 211 receives an instruction from a user (essentially an employee of a retail store, etc.) to press the "open button" on the operation screen displayed on the display operation unit 8, the banknote control unit 211 controls the deposit port guide drive unit 280 to transition the deposit port guide 23 to an open state (Figure 14).

[0142] Furthermore, when the deposit port guide 23 of the deposit unit 12 is in the open state (Figure 14), and the banknote control unit 211 receives an instruction from the user to press the "block button" on the operation screen displayed on the display operation unit 8, it controls the deposit port guide drive unit 280 to transition the deposit port guide 23 to the closed state (Figure 13).

[0143] In this way, in the banknote processing device 205, the user does not need to perform any action to rotate the deposit port guide 23, but can simply operate the display operation unit 8 to transition the deposit port guide 23 of the deposit section 12 to a closed state or an open state.

[0144] In particular, the banknote processing device 205 is configured so that an operation screen is displayed on the display operation unit 8 only when a special input operation is performed. As a result, the banknote processing device 205 allows users such as general customers to perform deposit transactions with the deposit port guide 23 in the closed state, while only users who know the special operation input and are familiar with how to use the cash processing device 201, such as employees of a retail store, are allowed to transition the deposit port guide 23 to the open state.

[0145] In other respects as well, the banknote processing device 205 can achieve the same effects as the banknote processing device 5 according to the first embodiment.

[0146] [3. Other Embodiments] In the first embodiment described above, the deposit port guide 23 is rotated about the deposit port guide rotation shaft 23X to transition between a closed state (e.g., FIG. 3 ) and an open state (e.g., FIG. 5 ). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the deposit port guide 23 may be configured to move parallel to a diagonal direction connecting a front lower side and a rear upper side, and this parallel movement may transition the deposit port guide 23 between the closed state and the open state. Alternatively, various mechanisms may be used to transition the deposit port guide 23 between the closed state and the open state. In this case, in the open state, instead of the deposit port guide guide surface 23S, various surfaces of the deposit port guide 23, such as the front surface of the deposit port guide 23, may be connected to the deposit upper guide front surface 22F of the deposit upper guide 22 to form a curved surface. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0147] In the first embodiment described above, the deposit port guide 23 is provided with a picker-facing roller 26 that faces the picker roller 25 (see FIG. 3, etc.). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, instead of the picker-facing roller 26, a pad with an extremely low surface friction coefficient may be provided and biased by a spring S26, so that banknotes are sandwiched and transported between the pad and the picker roller 25. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0148] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the multiple protrusions 23P on the deposit slot guide 23 are inserted into the multiple grooves 22D on the deposit upper guide front surface 22F, etc. This forms a continuous surface facing the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S in the closed state (e.g., FIG. 3 ), and a continuous surface extending generally vertically in the open state (e.g., FIG. 5 ). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the grooves 22D on the deposit upper guide 22 and the protrusions 23P on the deposit slot guide 23 may both be omitted. Furthermore, instead of the grooves 22D and the protrusions 23P, for example, a thin, flexible resin sheet member may be attached to the deposit slot guide 23 and have its other end abut against the deposit upper guide front surface 22F. Essentially, forming a continuous surface at the connection between the deposit upper guide 22 and the deposit slot guide 23 ensures smooth guidance of banknotes in both the closed and open states. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0149] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the lower portion of the deposit upper guide front surface 22F (FIGS. 5 and 6, etc.) of the deposit upper guide 22 is curved in an arc shape when viewed from the left and right. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and various shapes may be used, for example, the lower portion of the deposit upper guide front surface 22F may be curved in a broken line shape when viewed from the left and right. In these cases, it is sufficient to smoothly guide banknotes without getting caught by, for example, curving the vicinity of the apex of the broken line. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0150] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the light-emitting unit 41 and the light-receiving unit 43 of the lead-in monitoring sensor 40 (FIGS. 3 and 8), which require electrical wiring, are both provided within the deposit floor guide 21, and the deposit port guide 23 is provided with a prism 42, which is an optical element, thereby eliminating the need for electrical wiring to the deposit port guide 23. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the light-receiving unit 43 may be provided within the deposit port guide 23, and the prism 42 may not be used. In this case, although electrical wiring is required between the fixed deposit upper guide 22 and the rotating deposit port guide 23, the prism 42 can be omitted, which contributes to reducing manufacturing costs by reducing the number of parts. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0151] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the detection light is reflected by the prism 42 provided in the deposit port guide 23 in the withdrawal monitoring sensor 40 (FIGS. 3 and 8). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and various well-known optical elements may be combined and arranged, for example, by arranging multiple mirrors. The point is that it is sufficient to change the direction of the detection light emitted from the light-emitting unit 41 and traveling diagonally upward so that it travels diagonally downward toward the light-receiving unit 43. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0152] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a configuration has been described in which the retraction monitoring sensor 40 detects banknotes when the deposit port guide 23 is in a closed state (e.g., FIG. 9 ), and the insertion detection sensor 50 detects banknotes when the deposit port guide 23 is in an open state (e.g., FIG. 11 ). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, instead of the retraction monitoring sensor 40, a sensor may be provided in which, like the insertion detection sensor 50, a light-emitting unit is disposed in the deposit floor guide 21 and a light-receiving unit is disposed in the deposit upper guide 22, so that the presence or absence of banknotes can be detected at the retraction monitoring points P40A and P40B in both the closed state and the open state. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0153] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the deposit port guide drive unit 280 ( FIG. 13 ) transmits the rotational driving force of the deposit port guide drive motor 281 to the guide fixed gear 284 via the output gear 282 and the relay gear 283 to rotate the deposit port guide 23. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the driving force may be transmitted using various known configurations capable of transmitting driving force, such as an endless belt or a rotating shaft. Furthermore, the driving force source is not limited to a configuration using the deposit port guide drive motor 281 that generates a rotational driving force, but may also use various devices or mechanisms that generate driving force, such as a configuration using a solenoid that generates a linear driving force by utilizing the force of an electromagnet. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0154] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the present disclosure is applied to the deposit unit 12 of the banknote processing device 5 incorporated in the cash processing device 1 used by retail store staff, customers, etc. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and may be applied to various devices that handle banknote transactions with users, such as banknote processing devices used by staff of a financial institution at the counter of the financial institution, and automated teller machines (so-called ATMs). The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0155] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the present disclosure is applied to the deposit unit 12 of the banknote processing device 5 in the cash processing device 1 that transacts banknotes as a medium with a user. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and may be applied to a portion that receives the medium from a user in various devices that transact various paper-like media with a user, such as various coupons, securities, gift certificates, admission tickets, etc. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0156] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present disclosure extends to embodiments in which the above-described embodiments are combined in part or in whole with the above-described other embodiments, or to embodiments in which parts are extracted. The scope of application of the present disclosure also extends to cases in which a part of the configuration described in any of the above-described embodiments and other embodiments is extracted and replaced or diverted with a part of the configuration of any of the above-described embodiments and other embodiments, or where a part of the extracted configuration is added to any of the embodiments.

[0157] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 5 is configured as a media processing device using the deposit floor guide 21 as the first guide, the deposit upper guide 22 as the second guide, the deposit port guide 23 as the third guide, and the picker roller 25 as the first transport roller. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the media processing device may be configured using a first guide, a second guide, a third guide, and a first transport roller with various other configurations.

[0158] The present disclosure can be used, for example, in a deposit section of a banknote processing device that handles banknotes.

Claims

1. A media processing device comprising: a first guide having a placement surface on which paper-like media is placed and a first transport guide surface that is continuous with the placement surface and is formed along the transport direction; a second guide having a second transport guide surface that faces the first transport guide surface of the first guide and forms a transport path for the media between it and the first transport guide surface; a third guide having a third guide surface that guides the media and that can be moved to a closed state or an open state whose position relative to the placement surface differs; and a first transport roller that is located within the placement surface of the first guide and transmits a driving force to the media in the transport direction, wherein the third guide is configured so that in the closed state where the third guide surface faces the placement surface of the first guide, the third guide clamps the media placed on the placement surface between itself and the first transport roller, and in the open state where the third guide surface is separated from the placement surface of the first guide, the third guide supports the edges of the media that have accumulated up to the height of the third guide surface out of the multiple media accumulated on the placement surface.

2. The media processing device according to claim 1, wherein the third guide is configured so that, in the closed state, the third guide surface is continuous with the second transport guide surface of the second guide.

3. The media processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a first opposing roller provided in the third guide, which, in the closed state, sandwiches the media placed on the placement surface between itself and the first transport roller.

4. The media processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second guide has a second stacking support surface at a location away from the first transport guide surface of the first guide that supports the edges of media stacked on the placement surface that are stacked lower than the height of the third guide surface in the open state, and the third guide is configured to connect the third guide surface with the second stacking support surface in the open state.

5. A media processing device as described in claim 4, further comprising: a second transport roller provided within the range of the first transport guide surface in the first guide and transmitting the driving force to the media; and a second opposing roller provided in the second guide and sandwiching the media between the second transport roller and the second opposing roller, a portion of the second opposing roller protruding from the second accumulation support surface.

6. The media processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second guide supports the third guide by a rotating shaft, and the third guide is configured to transition between the closed state and the open state by changing its position and posture relative to the second guide as it rotates around the shaft.

7. A media processing device as described in claim 1, further comprising: a light-emitting unit provided in the first guide that emits detection light; an optical element provided in the third guide that has the property of reflecting the detection light in the closed state; and a light-receiving unit provided in the first guide that receives the detection light reflected by the optical element.

8. A media processing device as described in claim 1, further comprising: a third guide blocked detection unit that detects whether the third guide is in the blocked state; a plurality of media detection units that respectively detect the presence or absence of the media at a plurality of locations on the placement surface; and a control unit that controls the first transport roller to start rotating when it detects that the media has been placed on the placement surface based on the detection results by the media detection units, wherein the control unit is configured so that the media detection unit that uses the detection result of the media when the third guide blocked detection unit detects that the third guide is in the blocked state is different from the media detection unit that uses the detection result of the media when the third guide blocked detection unit detects that the third guide is not in the blocked state.

9. A media processing device as described in claim 1, further comprising: a third guide drive unit that transitions the third guide to the closed state or the open state; an operation unit that accepts operation instructions; and a control unit that controls the third guide drive unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control the third guide drive unit to transition the third guide to the closed state or the open state based on the operation instructions accepted by the operation unit.

10. A media processing device as described in claim 1, comprising: a blocking unit that transitions, at a blocking point located on the transport direction side of the first transport roller, to a progress-permitting state that allows the medium to proceed in the transport direction, or to a blocked state that prohibits the medium from proceeding in the transport direction; a media detection unit that detects whether the medium has been placed on the placement surface; and a control unit that controls the first transport roller and the blocking unit, wherein the control unit is configured to, when it detects that the medium has been placed on the placement surface, place the blocking unit in the blocked state and drive the first transport roller, and, when a predetermined progress-permitting condition is satisfied, control the blocking unit to transition to the progress-permitting state.

11. A media processing device as described in claim 10, further comprising a third guide blockage detection unit that detects whether the third guide is in the blocked state, and wherein the control unit is configured to transition the blockage prevention unit to the progress-allowing state when the third guide blockage detection unit detects that the third guide is not in the blocked state, regardless of the detection result of the media by the media detection unit.

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