Medium handling device

Abstract

This medium handling device comprises: an upper medium handling unit having a medium insertion unit into which a medium is inserted; and a lower medium handling unit disposed below the upper medium handling unit and having a medium receiving unit for receiving a discharged medium. The medium receiving unit is provided below the medium insertion unit. The medium insertion unit has a first recess that is a portion continuing from an upper end to a lower end on a side surface and is recessed compared to other portions. Moreover, a second recess that continues from the first recess to the medium receiving unit is provided below the first recess. The first recess and the second recess are connected in a vertical direction.

Description

Media Processing Device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to media processing devices.

[0002] One type of media processing device is a deposit / withdrawal device that handles banknotes. Conventionally, a deposit / withdrawal device has been provided with a banknote insertion section into which banknotes are inserted and a banknote receiving section that receives the banknotes, with the banknote receiving section being positioned below the banknote insertion section (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5-159136 (Patent Document 1)).

[0003] In order to make it easier to operate, deposit and withdrawal devices generally have a banknote insertion port located below the head of most users. This means that the banknote receiving port is hidden below the banknote insertion port when viewed from the user's perspective, resulting in poor visibility of the banknote receiving port.

[0004] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a media processing device that can improve the visibility of the media receiving section.

[0005] In order to solve this problem, the media processing device disclosed herein comprises an upper media processing section having a media input section into which media is input, and a lower media processing section located below the upper media processing section and having a media receiving section that receives the ejected media, the media receiving section being located below the media input section, the media input section having a first recess that extends from the top to the bottom of the side surface and is recessed compared to other sections, and a second recess being located below the first recess and continuing from the first recess to the media receiving section, the first recess and the second recess being connected in the vertical direction.

[0006] In this way, the media processing device of the present disclosure allows the media receiving section to be seen from above the media input section through the first recess and the second recess.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a media processing device that can improve the visibility of the media receiving section can be realized.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a left side view showing the overall configuration of a banknote processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a banknote deposit and withdrawal unit according to an embodiment (with the dispensing door closed). FIG. 3 is a top view showing the external configuration of a banknote deposit and withdrawal unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a left side view showing the overall configuration of a banknote deposit and withdrawal unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a banknote deposit and withdrawal unit according to an embodiment (with the dispensing door open). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the line of sight of a user when looking at the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state when a downward-opening dispensing door according to an embodiment is opened. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state when a comparative upward-opening dispensing door is opened. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of a front guide according to another embodiment.

[0009] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] 1, a banknote processing device 1 according to this embodiment is configured around a box-shaped housing 2, and is installed, for example, in financial institutions or various commercial facilities, and performs cash-related transactions such as deposit and withdrawal processes with users (i.e., customers of the financial institutions or commercial facilities). In the following description, the side of the banknote processing device 1 that faces the user is referred to as the front side, the opposite side is referred to as the rear side, and the left and right sides as seen from the user facing the front side are referred to as the left side and right side, respectively, with upper and lower sides further defined.

[0011] The housing 2 is composed of a first section 2A extending vertically and a second section 2B protruding forward from the upper front side of the first section 2A, and has an inverted L-shape as a whole when viewed from the side. The second section 2B of the housing 2 is provided with a banknote deposit / withdrawal section 10, and the first section 2A is provided with a transport section 11, a discrimination section 12, stackers 13 (stackers 13A, 13B, and 13C), a collection box 14, etc.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, which is a perspective view of the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 10 viewed diagonally from the upper left at the front, the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 10 has a banknote insertion unit 15 located at an upper part and a banknote receiving unit 16 located at a lower part. A user deposits banknotes by inserting them into the banknote insertion unit 15, and withdraws banknotes by receiving them from the banknote receiving unit 16. The banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 10 will be described in more detail below. Returning to Figure 1, the transport unit 11 transports banknotes to various units along the transport path R. The discrimination unit 12 discriminates the denomination, authenticity, degree of damage, serial number, etc. of banknotes transported along the transport path R. The stacker 13 stores banknotes by denomination. The collection box 14 stores banknotes that have been determined to be unsuitable for withdrawal, etc.

[0013] The above is the overall configuration of the banknote processing device 1. From the standpoint of operability, the banknote processing device 1 is designed so that the banknote insertion port 15 is located below the head of a user Us who has the average height of an adult woman in Japan. As a result, a user Us who has the average height of an adult woman in Japan will view the banknote insertion port 15 from above.

[0014] Here, we will briefly explain the operation of the banknote processing device 1 during deposit transactions and withdrawal transactions. During a deposit transaction, when a user inserts a banknote into the banknote insertion port 15 of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 10, the banknote processing device 1 transports the inserted banknote to the discrimination unit 12 by the transport unit 11. Here, if the banknote processing device 1 determines that the banknote can be deposited and recycled as a withdrawal banknote based on the discrimination result of the discrimination unit 12, the banknote processing device 1 transports the banknote by the transport unit 11 to one of the stackers 13 corresponding to the denomination and stores it.

[0015] On the other hand, if the banknote processing device 1 determines that a banknote that has been determined to be depositable based on the validation result of the validation unit 12 should not be recycled as a dispensing banknote (is not suitable as a dispensing banknote) because it is in poor condition or is an old note, etc., the banknote processing device 1 transports the banknote to the collection box 14 by the transport unit 11 and stores it. On the other hand, if the banknote processing device 1 determines that a banknote is not suitable for deposit based on the validation result of the validation unit 12, such as a banknote that is in extremely poor condition, a counterfeit note, a foreign object, or a banknote that cannot be handled, the banknote processing device 1 returns the banknote to the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 10 by the transport unit 11 and returns it to the user from the banknote receiving unit 16.

[0016] Furthermore, during a withdrawal transaction, the banknote processing device 1 recognizes the required number of banknotes of each denomination according to the requested amount input via an operation display unit (not shown), and feeds out banknotes from each stacker 13 according to this number of banknotes of each denomination and transports them to the discrimination unit 12 by the transport unit 11. Here, if the banknote processing device 1 determines that a banknote is suitable for withdrawal based on the validation result of the discrimination unit 12, it transports the banknote by the transport unit 11 to the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 10. A user receives the banknote transported to the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 10 from the banknote receiving unit 16. On the other hand, if the banknote processing device 1 determines that a banknote is not suitable for withdrawal based on the validation result of the discrimination unit 12, it transports the banknote by the transport unit 11 to the collection box 14 for storage. The operations of the banknote processing device 1 during deposit transactions and withdrawal transactions are as described above.

[0017] [1-2. Configuration of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit] The configuration of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 10 will now be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a top view of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 10 as viewed from above, and Fig. 4 is a left side view showing the overall configuration of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 10 including the interior thereof.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 10 has a deposit unit 20 and a withdrawal unit 21, and is laid out such that the withdrawal unit 21 is disposed below the deposit unit 20.

[0019] The deposit unit 20 has a banknote insertion section 15 at the upper front side, through which a user inserts banknotes. This banknote insertion section 15 is formed by a plate-shaped banknote placement section 23 and an upper guide 24 located above the rear of the banknote placement section 23. The banknote placement section 23 has an upper surface 23s that slopes downward toward the rear, and banknotes are placed on this upper surface 23s. In other words, the upper surface 23s of the banknote placement section 23 serves as a banknote placement surface. In the deposit unit 20, banknotes are inserted into the banknote insertion section 15 (i.e., banknotes are placed on the banknote placement section 23) with the short edge of the banknote oriented in the depth direction (front-to-back direction) of the deposit unit 20.

[0020] The front surface 23f of the banknote placement unit 23 is provided with a deposit unit upper end recess 25, recessed toward the rear (depth direction of the banknote processing device 1), in the center of the width direction (left-right direction). That is, the deposit unit upper end recess 25 is a recess that extends from the top to the bottom of the front surface 23f of the banknote placement unit 23 and is recessed toward the rear compared to the other portions. The deposit unit upper end recess 25 is a portion into which the fingers holding the banknote are inserted (i.e., a portion through which the fingers are released) when a user places a banknote on the banknote placement unit 23 or when retrieving a placed banknote. For example, the deposit unit upper end recess 25 has a width (left-right length) and depth (front-rear length) large enough to accommodate four fingers, from the index finger to the little finger. The depth of the deposit unit upper end recess 25 here refers to the distance from the front surface 20s, which is the frontmost portion of the deposit unit 20. As shown in FIG. 3 , the deposit unit upper end recess 25 is an arc-shaped recess when viewed from above. By providing such a recess 25 at the top end of the deposit unit, the user can easily place banknotes grasped with their fingers on the banknote placement section 23 (i.e., insert them into the banknote insertion section 15), and can also easily retrieve the placed banknotes by grasping them with their fingers.

[0021] The top surface 23s of the banknote placement unit 23 is longer in the front-to-rear direction than the longest short edge of the banknotes to be handled, and is inclined downward toward the rear. As a result, banknotes placed on the top surface 23s of the banknote placement unit 23 slide down to the back side beyond the upper end recess 25 of the deposit unit, where they are separated and taken in one by one.

[0022] Banknotes inserted into the banknote insertion unit 15 (i.e., banknotes placed on the banknote placement unit 23) pass between the banknote placement unit 23 and the upper guide 24 and are taken into the deposit unit 20. As shown in FIG. 4, a deposit transport path 26 and various rollers 27 (27A to 27C) are provided at the rear side of the banknote insertion unit 15. Note that some of the rollers are omitted in FIG. 4. The deposit unit 20 transports the banknotes inserted into the banknote insertion unit 15 along the deposit transport path 26 while separating them one by one by the various rollers 27, and sends them out to the transport unit 11 behind.

[0023] Meanwhile, the dispensing unit 21 has a banknote receiving section 16 at its front end through which a user receives banknotes. This banknote receiving section 16 is a generally rectangular opening that is elongated in the left-right direction and is located below the banknote insertion section 15. As shown in FIG. 4 , a banknote storage space 28 for storing banknotes to be dispensed is provided at the rear side of the banknote receiving section 16. A plate-shaped ceiling guide 29 located at the upper end of the dispensing unit 21 is provided above the banknote storage space 28, and a banknote placement section 30 for placing banknotes is provided below the banknote storage space 28. The banknote placement section 30 has a banknote placement surface 31 that slopes downward toward the rear, and a rear guide 32 that extends upward from the rear end of the banknote placement surface 31. The banknotes BL are stored on the banknote placement surface 31 (multiple banknotes are stacked vertically), and the rear guide 32 regulates the position of the rear ends of the banknotes BL. In the dispensing unit 21 , the banknotes BL are stored in the banknote storage space 28 with the short edge of the banknote oriented in the depth direction (front-rear direction) of the depositing unit 20 .

[0024] Furthermore, a downwardly recessed dispensing unit lower end recess 33 is provided in the center of the width direction (left-right direction) at the front end of the banknote placing surface 31. This dispensing unit lower end recess 33 is the portion into which a user's fingers enter when grasping a banknote BL stored on the banknote placing surface 31, and has a width (left-right length) and depth (up-down length) large enough to accommodate, for example, four fingers from the index finger to the little finger. The provision of this dispensing unit lower end recess 33 enables a user to grasp a banknote BL placed on the banknote placing surface 31 with their fingers and easily remove it from the banknote receiving section 16.

[0025] The banknote receiving portion 16 is also provided with an openable / closable dispensing door 34. The banknote receiving portion 16 is opened by opening the dispensing door 34 as shown in Fig. 5, and is closed by closing the door as shown in Fig. 2. The dispensing door 34 is provided to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 35 extending in the left-right direction and provided at the lower end of the banknote receiving portion 16. In other words, the dispensing door 34 is a downward-opening door that opens from a closed state by moving its tip portion located on the upper end side of the banknote receiving portion 16 (i.e., the side farthest from the rotation shaft 35) away from the banknote receiving portion 16 in a diagonally downward and forward direction as indicated by arrow Ar1 (Fig. 5). The dispensing door 34 is biased in the closing direction by, for example, a biasing member (not shown).

[0026] Furthermore, the dispensing door 34 has an opening 36 cut out from the tip toward the rotation shaft 35 in the center in the left-right direction. This opening 36 has a U-shaped edge when the dispensing door 34 is viewed from the front in the closed state, for example. When the dispensing door 34 is closed, the banknote receiving portion 16 is exposed from this opening 36, and even in the closed state, the inside of the banknote storage space 28 can be seen through the banknote receiving portion 16 from this opening 36.

[0027] Furthermore, the dispensing door 34 is provided with front guides 37 that protrude in the thickness direction of the dispensing door 34 on the left and right sides of the opening 36 on the back side that faces the banknote storage space 28 when closed. As shown in Fig. 2, the size of the front guides 37 in the width direction is sufficiently shorter than that of the dispensing door 34. Also, as shown in Fig. 4, the front guides 37 are positioned in front of the banknote storage space 28 when the dispensing door 34 is closed, and regulate the position of the front ends of the banknotes BL stored in the banknote storage space 28. Note that the front guides 37 may be formed integrally with the dispensing door 34, or may be formed separately and fixed to the dispensing door 34.

[0028] Further, at the rear side of the banknote storage space 28, there are provided a dispensing conveyance path 40, various rollers 41 (41A to 41C), and a blade wheel 42. Note that some of the rollers provided on the dispensing conveyance path 40 are omitted in FIG. 4 . The dispensing unit 21 conveys banknotes (i.e., dispenseable banknotes) BL conveyed one by one by the conveyance section 11 along the dispensing conveyance path 40 using the various rollers 41, and discharges them into the banknote storage space 28 in front. At this time, the front guide 37 of the closed dispensing door 34 regulates the position of the front end of the discharged banknote BL. Furthermore, the dispensing unit 21 knocks down the banknote BL discharged into the banknote storage space 28 using the blade wheel 42, while pulling the banknote BL toward the rear end of the banknote storage space 28 (i.e., the rear guide 32), and places the banknote on the banknote placement surface 31 of the banknote placement section 30. Here, if banknotes BL have already been placed on the banknote placement surface 31, the newly discharged banknotes BL are stacked on top of the placed banknotes BL.

[0029] Furthermore, a deposit front cover 38 is provided at the front end of the deposit unit 20, which forms the front outer shape including the front surface 20s of the deposit unit 20. This deposit front cover 38 is provided between the banknote placement section 23 of the deposit unit 20 and the banknote receiving section 16 of the withdrawal unit 21 (also between the banknote placement section 23 and the ceiling guide 29).

[0030] The deposit front cover 38 (i.e., the front surface 20s of the deposit unit 20) has a deposit unit front surface recess 43 recessed rearward (in the depth direction of the banknote processing device 1) in the center of its width (left-right direction), extending from the deposit unit upper-end recess 25 to the banknote receiver 16 below. The deposit unit front surface recess 43 communicates with (is connected to) the deposit unit upper-end recess 25 and has a width approximately equal to that of the deposit unit upper-end recess 25. The deposit unit front surface recess 43 has a depth (length in the depth direction) approximately equal to that of the deposit unit upper-end recess 25 at its top and a depth greater than that of the deposit unit upper-end recess 25 at its bottom. Note that the depth of the deposit unit front surface recess 43 here refers to the distance from the front surface 20s of the deposit unit 20. In other words, the deposit unit front surface recess 43 is formed so as to become deeper from the top to the bottom. In other words, the deposit unit front recess 43 is inclined so that the further downward it extends, the deeper it becomes into the deposit unit 20. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the depth of the deposit unit front recess 43 is such that the upper portion 43u is inclined forward from top to bottom, and the lower portion 43b is inclined backward from top to bottom. For this reason, the deposit unit front recess 43 is shallowest at the apex end 43c located at the boundary between the upper portion 43u and the lower portion 43b. Note that the inclination of the upper portion 43u is designed to allow fingers to escape, similar to the deposit unit upper end recess 25.

[0031] Furthermore, a dispensing unit upper end recess 44 recessed rearward (in the depth direction of the banknote processing device 1) is provided in the center of the width direction on the front surface 29f of the ceiling guide 29 of the dispensing unit 21. This dispensing unit upper end recess 44 is provided below the depositing unit front surface recess 43 so as to communicate with the depositing unit front surface recess 43 in the up-down direction, and has approximately the same width and depth as the lower end of the depositing unit front surface recess 43. This dispensing unit upper end recess 44 is located above the banknote receiving portion 16 and the front part of the banknote storage space 28, and communicates with the banknote receiving portion 16 and the front part of the banknote storage space 28.

[0032] Here, when the deposit unit front recess 43 and the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 are viewed as a single recess, the recess is formed so that it roughly becomes deeper from the top to the bottom. In other words, the recess is provided at an angle so that it extends deeper into the deposit unit 20 as it goes downward.

[0033] The deposit unit upper-end recess 25, the deposit unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper-end recess 44 are each provided at the front end of the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 10, are aligned in the left-right direction, and are communicated in the up-down direction. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 3, when the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 10 is viewed from above, the banknote receiving unit 16 located below the dispensing unit upper-end recess 44 and the front part of the banknote storage space 28 can be seen through the deposit unit upper-end recess 25, the deposit unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper-end recess 44. When the deposit unit upper-end recess 25, the deposit unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper-end recess 44 are viewed from above, the top end 43c of the deposit unit front surface recess 43 is located at the frontmost position. For this reason, at least this top end 43c is positioned further back than the front of the bill receiving section 16 and the bill storage space 28 so that the bill receiving section 16 and the front of the bill storage space 28 can be seen from above.

[0034] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, when viewed from above, the innermost portions (rear ends) of the deposit unit upper end recess 25, deposit unit front surface recess 43, and withdrawal unit upper end recess 44 are each located rearward of the front guide 37 of the withdrawal door 34 when it is closed.

[0035] Therefore, when the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 10 is viewed from above, the front of the banknote BL stored between the front guide 37 and the rear guide 32 (see Figure 4) in the banknote storage space 28 can be seen through the deposit unit upper end recess 25, the deposit unit front surface recess 43, and the withdrawal unit upper end recess 44.

[0036] 3, in the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 10, the front end of the withdrawal unit 21 (specifically, the banknote receiving unit 16 and the withdrawal door 34 in a closed state) protrudes forward from the front end of the deposit unit 20 (specifically, the front surface 20s). The configuration of the banknote deposit and withdrawal unit 10 is as described above.

[0037] [2. Opening and Closing of Dispensing Door] Here, we will explain the opening and closing operation of the dispensing door 34 provided in the dispensing unit 21. As shown in Fig. 2 , the dispensing door 34 is rotatable around a rotation shaft 35 extending in the left-right direction and provided at the bottom end of the banknote receiving portion 16, and closes the banknote receiving portion 16 when closed.

[0038] To open the closed dispensing door 34, the user pulls the tip portion located on the upper end side of the dispensing door 34 diagonally downward and forward as indicated by the arrow Ar1, as shown in Figure 5. In this way, the dispensing door 34 can be opened, which opens the banknote receiving section 16 and makes it possible to remove banknotes BL stored in the banknote storage space 28. Thereafter, when the user releases the open dispensing door 34, the dispensing door 34 closes due to the biasing force. The opening and closing operation of the dispensing door 34 is as described above.

[0039] The dispensing unit 21 may be provided with a drive unit (not shown) for automatically opening and closing the dispensing door 34, thereby automating the opening and closing of the dispensing door 34.

[0040] [3. Summary and Effects] As explained so far, in this embodiment, the banknote processing device 1, which is an example of a medium processing device, is provided with the deposit unit 20, which is an example of an upper medium processing unit having the banknote input section 15, which is an example of a medium input section into which a medium is input, and the dispensing unit 21, which is an example of a lower medium processing unit that is disposed below the deposit unit 20 and has the banknote receiving section 16, which is an example of a medium receiving section that receives the ejected medium.

[0041] Furthermore, in the banknote processing device 1, the banknote receiving section 16 is located below the banknote insertion section 15, and the banknote insertion section 15 is provided with a deposit unit upper end recess 25, which is an example of a first recess in which a portion continuing from the top to the bottom of the front surface 23f, which is an example of a side surface, is recessed compared to other portions, and further, below the deposit unit upper end recess 25, a deposit unit front surface recess 43 and a withdrawal unit upper end recess 44, which are examples of second recesses continuing from the deposit unit upper end recess 25 to the banknote receiving section 16, are provided.

[0042] More specifically, the banknote inserting portion 15 is provided with a banknote placing portion 23, which is an example of a medium placing portion, and a deposit unit upper end recess 25 is provided on a front surface 23f of the banknote placing portion 23. A deposit front cover 38 is provided on the front surface of the depositing unit 20, and a deposit unit front surface recess 43 is provided on this deposit front cover 38. Furthermore, a ceiling guide 29, which is an example of a first medium guide, is provided above the banknote storage space 28, which is an example of a medium storage space located at the back side of the banknote receiving portion 16, and a dispensing unit upper end recess 44 is provided on a front surface 29f of this ceiling guide 29.

[0043] The banknote processing device 1 is configured so that the deposit unit upper end recess 25, the deposit unit front surface recess 43, and the withdrawal unit upper end recess 44 are communicated (connected) in the vertical direction, and further so that the withdrawal unit upper end recess 44 is also communicated with the banknote storage space 28 located at the back of the banknote receiving section 16.

[0044] In this way, when a user looks at the banknote insert 15 from above, as shown by the dotted line L1 in Figure 6, the banknote processing device 1 allows the user to see the banknote receiving section 16 located below the banknote insert 15 and the banknotes stored in the banknote storage space 28 behind it (i.e., the banknotes that the user receives from the banknote receiving section 16) through the deposit unit upper end recess 25, the deposit unit front surface recess 43, and the withdrawal unit upper end recess 44.

[0045] Thus, according to the banknote handling apparatus 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to improve the visibility of the banknote receiving section 16 and the banknotes stored behind it.

[0046] Furthermore, in the banknote processing device 1 of this embodiment, when the deposit unit front recess 43 and the withdrawal unit upper end recess 44 are viewed as a single recess, the recess is formed so that it extends further into the device (i.e., becomes deeper) as it goes downward.

[0047] In this way, even when the user looks at the banknote inserting portion 15 not directly from above but from above at an angle in front, as shown by the dotted line L2 in Figure 6 (for example, when viewed by a user who is shorter than the average adult height, such as a child, or when the user is sitting in a wheelchair and is standing at a distance from the banknote processing device 1 in the forward direction), the banknote receiving portion 16 and the banknotes stored behind it can be seen through the deposit unit front recess 43 and the withdrawal unit upper end recess 44.

[0048] Furthermore, the banknote processing device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a dispensing door 34, which is an example of an openable / closable door, in the banknote receiving portion 16. The dispensing door 34 is opened to open the banknote receiving portion 16, and closed to seal the banknote receiving portion 16. In addition, an opening 36 is provided in the dispensing door 34. This allows the user to see the banknote receiving portion 16 and the banknotes stored behind it from the front of the dispensing door 34 through the opening 36, even when the dispensing door 34 is closed, as shown by the dashed-dotted line L3 in Fig. 2 .

[0049] In this way, the banknote processing device 1 of this embodiment does not need to have a drive unit that ejects banknotes from the banknote receiving unit 16 in order to improve visibility, and can improve the visibility of the banknote receiving unit 16 and the banknotes stored behind it. As a result, the banknote processing device 1 does not have to stop operation due to a breakdown of the drive unit, and can reduce the stoppage rate compared to when the drive unit is provided, and also can reduce product costs by the amount corresponding to the omission of the drive unit.

[0050] On the other hand, when a drive unit for discharging banknotes from the banknote receiving unit 16 is provided in this way, banknotes cannot be discharged from the banknote receiving unit 16 (i.e., the user cannot receive them) until all of the banknotes to be discharged have been accumulated in the banknote storage space 28, which is an example of a medium storage space. In contrast, in the banknote processing device 1 of this embodiment, when even one banknote has been sent to the banknote storage space 28, the user can open the dispensing door 34 and remove the banknote from the banknote receiving unit 16.

[0051] For this reason, in the banknote processing device 1, for example, when a deposit-rejected banknote is sent to the banknote storage space 28 during a deposit transaction, the user can immediately open the withdrawal door 34, remove the deposit-rejected banknote from the banknote receiving section 16, and re-insert it into the banknote inserting section 15, thereby significantly shortening the transaction time.

[0052] Furthermore, in the banknote processing device 1 of this embodiment, the dispensing door 34 is a downward-opening door that can rotate around a rotation axis 35 extending in the left-right direction provided at the lower end of the banknote receiving section 16 and that opens by pulling the tip part farthest from the rotation axis 35 diagonally downward and forward.

[0053] Here, FIG. 8 shows a top-opening dispensing door 34x for comparison. As shown in FIG. 8 , the top-opening dispensing door 34x is rotatable about a rotation shaft 35x extending in the left-right direction and provided at the upper end of the banknote receiving portion 16, and is configured to open by pushing up the tip portion farther from the rotation shaft 35x diagonally forward as indicated by arrow Ar3. When opening the dispensing door 34x to receive banknotes from the banknote receiving portion 16, the user's hand movement trajectory often moves downward as indicated by arrow Ar4 from above the dispensing door 34x toward the dispensing door 34x. For this reason, in the case of the top-opening dispensing door 34x, the opening direction (upward as indicated by arrow Ar3) and the movement trajectory of the user's hand (downward as indicated by arrow Ar4) are opposite directions, resulting in poor operability when opening the dispensing door 34x.

[0054] Furthermore, in the case of an upward-opening dispensing door 34x, when the door is opened, the area other than the opening 36 covers the top of the banknote receiving section 16, making it difficult to see the banknote receiving section 16 and the banknotes stored behind it.

[0055] 7 , in the case of a downward-opening dispensing door 34 (i.e., the dispensing door 34 of this embodiment), the direction in which the dispensing door 34 is opened (the downward direction indicated by arrow Ar1) and the direction of the movement trajectory of the user's hand (the downward direction indicated by arrow Ar4) are the same, so operability when opening the dispensing door 34 is improved compared to a case in which the door opens upward. Furthermore, in the case of a downward-opening dispensing door 34, the door does not cover the area above the banknote receiving portion 16 when opened, so visibility of the banknote receiving portion 16 and the banknotes stored behind it is improved compared to a case in which the door opens upward.

[0056] In this way, in the banknote processing device 1 of this embodiment, by making the dispensing door 34 open downward, it is possible to improve operability and visibility compared to when the dispensing door 34 opens upward.

[0057] Furthermore, in the banknote processing device 1 of this embodiment, the banknote placement surface 31 located at the back of the banknote receiving section 16 is inclined upward toward the banknote receiving section 16, making it difficult for banknotes to fly out of the banknote receiving section 16 even when the user has the withdrawal door 34 open.

[0058] Furthermore, in the banknote processing device 1 of this embodiment, the front end of the withdrawal unit 21 (specifically, the banknote receiving section 16 and the withdrawal door 34 in a closed state) is configured to protrude further forward than the front end of the deposit unit 20 (specifically, the front surface 20s).

[0059] In this way, when the deposit unit 20 is viewed from above, the banknote receiving section 16 and the withdrawal door 34 of the withdrawal unit 21 are not hidden by the deposit unit 20 in the banknote processing device 1 of this embodiment, thereby further improving the visibility of the banknote receiving section 16.

[0060] [4. Other embodiments] [4-1. Other embodiment 1] In the above-described embodiment, the front guide 37, which is an example of a second medium guide that protrudes in the thickness direction of the dispensing door 34, is provided on the back side of the dispensing door 34. Here, the front guide 37 may be configured to be detachable from the dispensing door 34, and as shown in FIG. 9 , the front guide 37 may be replaced with a front guide 37x that protrudes more (i.e., has a thickness) than the front guide 37, or with a front guide (not shown) that protrudes less than the front guide 37.

[0061] This allows the distance between the front guide 37 (37x) and the rear guide 32 inside the banknote storage space 28 to be adjusted by shortening or lengthening it, and for example, even when the banknote processing device 1 handles smaller or larger banknotes, the banknotes can be stored in an aligned state inside the banknote storage space 28.

[0062] Furthermore, if the dispensing door 34 and the front guide 37 are formed as a single unit, the dispensing door 34 can be designed to be detachable from the dispensing unit 21, and the dispensing door 34 can be replaced with another dispensing door 34 having a front guide 37 of a different size.

[0063] Furthermore, when the dispensing door 34 is provided with a front guide 37x that protrudes more than the front guide 37, it is desirable to select the protrusion amount so that, when viewed from above, the front guide 37x is located forward of the innermost parts (rear ends) of the deposit unit upper end recess 25, the deposit unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recess 44. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the dispensing unit 21 is provided with a downward-opening dispensing door 34 that opens downward, but this is not limiting, and a right-opening dispensing door that opens to the right, a left-opening dispensing door that opens to the left, or a double-door (French door) dispensing door in which the left portion opens to the left and the right portion opens to the right may also be provided.

[0064] [4-2. Alternative Embodiment 2] In the above-described embodiment, the opening 36 is provided in the center of the dispensing door 34 in the width direction, so that even when the dispensing door 34 is closed, the inside of the banknote storage space 28 located at the back can be seen through this opening 36. However, this is not limiting, and for example, instead of providing the opening 36, the dispensing door 34 may be formed of a see-through material such as transparent or semi-transparent, so that even when the dispensing door 34 is closed, the inside of the banknote storage space 28 located at the back can be seen.

[0065] In addition to providing the opening 36, the dispensing door 34 may be made of a transparent or semi-transparent material. Furthermore, the front guide 37 provided on the dispensing door 34 may also be made of a transparent or semi-transparent material.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 is provided on the front surface of the ceiling guide 29 located at the upper end of the dispensing unit 21. This is not a limitation, and for example, the ceiling guide 29 may be formed from a see-through material such as transparent or semi-transparent, thereby omitting the ceiling guide 29. Furthermore, this is not a limitation, and the ceiling guide 29 may be formed from a see-through material after the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 is provided in the ceiling guide 29.

[0067] [4-3. Other embodiment 3] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the banknote receiving unit 16 is configured to have the dispensing door 34 that can be opened and closed, but this is not limiting, and the banknote receiving unit 16 may be configured not to have the dispensing door 34.

[0068] In this case, for example, the banknote placing surface 31 located below the banknote storage space 28 may be made more steeply inclined, or a protrusion (not shown) that protrudes upward from the banknote placing surface 31 may be provided on the front side of the banknote placing surface 31 (i.e., on the banknote receiving section 16 side) to prevent banknotes released into the banknote storage space 28 from flying out of the banknote receiving section 16. Note that it is desirable to provide the protrusions at positions that avoid the central part in the width direction of the banknote placing surface 31 (specifically, on the left and right sides of the dispensing unit lower end recess 33 formed on the front side of the banknote placing surface 31) so that the user can easily remove banknotes from the banknote receiving section 16.

[0069] [4-4. Other Embodiment 4] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the depositing unit upper end recess 25, which is arc-shaped when viewed from above, is provided in the center in the width direction (left-right direction) on the front end side of the banknote placement unit 23. This is not limiting, and the shape and number of the depositing unit upper end recesses 25 may be changed as appropriate. For example, the depositing unit upper end recess 25 may be U-shaped when viewed from above, or multiple depositing unit upper end recesses 25 may be arranged in the width direction in the center in the width direction on the front surface 23f of the banknote placement unit 23.

[0070] Similarly, the shapes and numbers of the depositing unit front surface recesses 43 and the dispensing unit upper end recesses 44 may be changed as appropriate. Note that, considering that the depositing unit upper end recesses 25, the depositing unit front surface recesses 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recesses 44 are to be vertically connected, it is desirable to match the shapes and widthwise positions of the depositing unit upper end recesses 25, the depositing unit front surface recesses 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recesses 44. In other words, when multiple depositing unit upper end recesses 25 are provided, the depositing unit front surface recesses 43 and the dispensing unit upper end recesses 44 may be provided below the multiple depositing unit upper end recesses 25, respectively. In this case, it is possible to obtain the effect of improving operability when placing banknotes BL on the upper surface 23s of the banknote placement section 23 of the depositing unit 20 with both hands. Furthermore, when placing a banknote BL on the upper surface 23s of the banknote placement section 23 with one hand or receiving a banknote BL from the banknote receiving section 16 with one hand, the deposit unit upper end recess 25, the deposit unit front surface recess 43 and the withdrawal unit upper end recess 44 are connected in the vertical direction, so that the banknote receiving section 16 and the front part of the banknote storage space 28 can be seen through the part that is not covered by the hand.

[0071] [4-5. Other Embodiment 5] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 is provided in the ceiling guide 29 located at the upper end of the dispensing unit 21. This is not limiting, and for example, the ceiling guide 29 may be omitted by using the lower end of the depositing unit 20 in place of the ceiling guide 29 of the dispensing unit 21. In this case, the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 is also omitted, but the depositing unit front surface recess 43 provided in the depositing unit 20 communicates with the banknote receiving portion 16 and the front of the banknote storage space 28, so that the same effect as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0072] [4-6. Other Embodiment 6] In the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure has been applied to the banknote processing device 1, which is an example of a medium processing device. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a medium identification device with a partial configuration different from that of the banknote processing device 1, as long as the medium processing device has a configuration that includes a medium receiving section below the medium insertion section. For example, the present disclosure can be applied to a medium processing device that handles media other than banknotes. The present disclosure can also be applied to a medium processing device in which the type of medium inserted into the medium insertion slot (e.g., banknotes) and the type of medium received from the medium receiving section (e.g., tickets) are different.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the depositing unit upper end recess 25, the depositing unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 are configured as communicating recesses having approximately the same width and depth at their respective connecting portions. This is not limiting, and it is sufficient that the respective recesses (the depositing unit upper end recess 25, the depositing unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recess 44) are communicating recesses so as not to obstruct the line of sight of a user facing the banknote processing device 1 to view dispensed banknotes. In other words, it is sufficient that the respective recesses are communicating with each other so as to ensure a line of sight when a user views dispensed banknotes.

[0074] 4, the depositing unit upper end recess 25, the depositing unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 are in communication with each other, and the upper portion 43u of the depositing unit front surface recess 43 is inclined forward from top to bottom, and the lower portion 43b is inclined rearward from top to bottom. However, this is not limiting, and if, for example, the banknote placement section 23 of the depositing unit 20 extends further forward than in the above-described embodiment and the depositing unit upper end recess 25 is positioned further forward, the depositing unit upper end recess 25, the depositing unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 may be in communication with each other and inclined rearward from top to bottom as a whole.

[0075] In addition, by making the deposit unit upper end recess 25 deeper than the deposit unit front surface recess 43 and the withdrawal unit upper end recess 44, operability can be improved when placing banknotes on the banknote placement section 23 and when retrieving banknotes placed on the banknote placement section 23.

[0076] Furthermore, by making the deposit unit upper end recess 25 and the deposit unit front face recess 43 deeper, for example, when a store clerk standing behind the banknote processing device 1 looks in from above (when viewed diagonally from above and behind), the banknote receiving unit 16 can be seen through the deposit unit upper end recess 25 and the upper part 43u of the deposit unit front face recess 43. In this way, the store clerk can confirm whether a customer has received banknotes from the banknote receiving unit 16.

[0077] Furthermore, as long as there is nothing between the recesses that obstructs the user's line of sight when looking at the dispensed banknotes, the recesses do not need to be physically connected, and as long as the recesses appear connected to the user as shown in Figure 3, the recesses may be spaced apart.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the depositing unit upper end recess 25, the depositing unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recess 44, which are connected in the vertical direction, are provided on the front side of the banknote processing device 1 in a vertical direction as viewed from the front. However, this is not limited to this, and depending on the arrangement of the banknote inserting unit 15 and the banknote receiving unit 16 and the expected standing position of the user, the depositing unit upper end recess 25, the depositing unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 may be provided in an inclined direction that is inclined horizontally with respect to the vertical direction as viewed from the front. Furthermore, in the case of a banknote processing device in which the banknote inserting unit 15 and the banknote receiving unit 16 are provided not on the front side of the device but on the right side of the device, for example, and in which banknotes are deposited and dispensed via the banknote inserting unit 15 and the banknote receiving unit 16 provided on the right side of the device while viewing an operation screen provided on the front side of the device, each recess may be provided on the right side of the device.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, recesses such as the depositing unit upper end recess 25, the depositing unit front surface recess 43, and the dispensing unit upper end recess 44 are formed in components such as the banknote placement section 23, the depositing front cover 38, and the ceiling guide 29, but this is not limiting, and these recesses may be provided as apparent recesses in the housing 2 of the banknote processing device 1. For example, the depositing front cover 38 may be provided only on the left and right sides excluding the center part in the left-right direction, and the center part where the depositing front cover 38 is not provided may be an apparent recess.

[0080] [4-7. Other Embodiment 7] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment. That is, the scope of application of the present disclosure extends to embodiments in which some or all of the above-described embodiments are combined in any manner, or embodiments in which some of the embodiments are extracted.

[0081] The present disclosure can be used with a variety of media processing devices that have a media receiving section below a media input section.

[0082] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-082233 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0083] All publications, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent application, or technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

an upper media processing section having a media input section into which media is input; a lower media processing section disposed below the upper media processing section and having a media receiving section for receiving ejected media; Equipped with the medium receiving section is provided below the medium input section, The medium insertion portion is provided with a first recess, which is a portion of the side surface extending continuously from the upper end to the lower end and recessed compared to other portions, Furthermore, a second recess is provided below the first recess, continuing from the first recess to the medium receiving section, and the first recess and the second recess are connected in the vertical direction. A media processing device characterized by: 　 The medium input unit has: A medium placement section for placing a medium is provided, and the first recess is provided on the front surface of the medium placement section. The media processing device according to claim 1 . 　 The first recess includes: A depression large enough to fit a finger holding the medium.

3. The media processing device according to claim 1 or 2. 　 A front cover is provided on the front surface of the upper media processing section between the media placement section and the lower media processing section, and the second recess is provided in the front cover. The media processing device according to claim 2 . 　 the media receiving section is provided at a front end of the lower media processing section; Furthermore, a media storage space for storing media is provided at the rear side of the media receiving section, and media stored in the media storage space can be removed from the media receiving section. The media processing device according to claim 4 . 　 The media receiving portion and the front end of the media storage space are located below the second recess, The second recess is The media receiving portion and the media storage space are connected to each other in the vertical direction. The media processing device according to claim 5 . 　 a first medium guide is provided above the medium storage space; The second recess is The front cover and the front surface of the first media guide are provided The media processing device according to claim 6 . 　 the medium input section is provided with a plurality of the first recesses, Further, the second recesses are provided below each of the plurality of first recesses.

3. The media processing device according to claim 1 or 2. 　 a front end of the lower media processing section; a front end of the upper media processing section; 3. The media processing device according to claim 1 or 2. 　 The second recess is The further down you go, the deeper it goes into the device.

3. The media processing device according to claim 1 or 2. 　 The medium receiving section further includes a door that can be opened and closed. The media processing device according to claim 5 . 　 The door is The door opens downward by rotating around a rotation axis provided on the lower end side of the media receiving section so that when closed, the part located on the upper end side of the media receiving section moves away from the upper end of the media receiving section. The media processing device according to claim 11 . 　 The door is The medium receiving portion has an opening, and when closed, the medium receiving portion is exposed through the opening. The media processing device according to claim 11 . 　 The door has a second media guide on the back side that faces the media storage space when closed. The media processing device according to claim 11 . 　 The door is The medium receiving section is detachably provided. The media processing device according to claim 14 . 　 The second medium guide includes: The door is detachably provided. The media processing device according to claim 14 .

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