Medium processing device

Abstract

Provided is a medium processing device comprising: a housing having a housing front opening that is formed on a front side facing a user and that provides communication between an internal space and the outside; a front door capable of opening and closing the housing front opening; a front-side unit configured such that, from a state in which the front-side unit is housed in the internal space and the housing front opening is closed by the front door, the front-side unit can move to the front side when the housing front opening is opened; and a rear-side unit configured to be movable to the rear side from a state in which the rear-side unit is housed on the rear side of the front-side unit in the internal space. The front-side unit and the rear-side unit are connected to each other in a state in which the front-side unit and the rear-side unit are housed in the internal space, and, when the front-side unit is moved from the housing to the front side, the rear-side unit is disconnected from the front-side unit and is in the state of being housed in the internal space without moving to the front side.

Description

Media processing device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a media processing device, and is suitable for application to a system used in a cashier's office or a backyard of a retail store such as a supermarket or a convenience store.

[0002] Conventionally, a media processing device has been proposed in which a storage compartment is pulled out from the rear side of a housing, and banknotes as media are replenished or collected in the storage compartment (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-84294).

[0003] In such a media processing device, it is desired to maintain security.

[0004] The present disclosure provides a media processing device capable of maintaining security.

[0005] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a media processing device, including a housing having a front housing opening formed on a front side facing a user for communicating an internal space with the outside, a front door capable of opening and closing the front housing opening, a front unit configured to be movable forward from a state in which the front housing opening is closed by the front door and stored in the internal space, and a rear unit configured to be movable rearward from a state in which the rear unit is stored on the rear side of the front unit in the internal space. The front unit and the rear unit are connected to each other while being stored in the internal space. When the front unit moves forward from the housing, the connection between the rear unit and the front unit is released, and the rear unit is stored in the internal space without moving forward.

[0006] According to the above aspect, even when the front door is opened and the front unit is pulled out from the housing to the front side, the media processing device of the present disclosure can keep the rear unit disposed at a position physically separated from the accessible front side by the user, and the user can maintain a state in which it is difficult to access the rear unit. Thus, the present disclosure can provide a media processing device capable of maintaining security.

[0007] This is a left side view showing the internal configuration of a banknote processing device according to the first exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the transport of banknotes during deposit processing according to the first exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the transport of banknotes during withdrawal processing according to the first exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the removal of the retractable collection unit from the rear side according to the first exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the withdrawal of the front unit from the front side according to the first exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the internal configuration of a banknote processing device according to the second exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the removal of the retractable collection unit and the withdrawal of the stacker from the rear side according to the second exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the withdrawal of the front unit from the front side according to the second exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the internal configuration of a banknote processing device according to the third exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the removal of the recycling cassette from the rear side according to the third exemplary embodiment. This is a left side view showing the withdrawal of the front unit from the front side according to the third exemplary embodiment.

[0008] The following describes embodiments for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as exemplary embodiments) with reference to the drawings.

[0009] [1. First Exemplary Embodiment] [1-1. Configuration of the Banknote Processing Device] [1-1-1. Overall Configuration of the Banknote Processing Device] As shown in Figure 1, the banknote processing device 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment is mainly composed of a box-shaped housing 2 and is installed, for example, in financial institutions and various commercial facilities, and performs cash-related transactions such as deposit processing and withdrawal processing with users (i.e., customers of financial institutions and commercial facilities). In the following, the side of the banknote processing device 1 that the user faces will be referred to as the front side, the opposite side as the back side, the left and right sides as viewed from the user facing the front side will be referred to as the left and right sides respectively, and the top and bottom sides will be defined and explained.

[0010] The housing 2 has a front opening 2A on its front side that connects the internal space 8 enclosed by the housing 2 to the outside, and a front door 3 that can open and close the front opening 2A is provided on the front side that is the opening. The housing 2 houses the banknote processing unit 5 in the internal space 8. In a left side view, the front door 3 extends vertically upward from the lower end of the front opening 2A and has a shape that resembles the letter "U" rotated 90° counterclockwise and protruding forward, covering the lower, front, and upper sides of the banknote deposit and withdrawal section 10. When a transaction is being performed between the banknote processing unit 1 and the user, the front door 3 is closed and locked to protect the banknote processing unit 5. On the other hand, when maintenance work is being performed by workers such as store owners, store staff, maintenance personnel, or bank employees of financial institutions, the front door 3 can be unlocked and opened as needed, making it easy to perform work on each part of the banknote processing unit 5. Although not shown in Figure 1, the front door 3 has openings on the front and top sides of the banknote deposit / discharge section 10, allowing the user to access the banknote deposit / discharge section 10. The housing 2 and the front door 3 are manufactured with heights adjusted to match the number of stackers 16 (stackers 16A, 16B, 16C, and 16D) in the banknote processing device 1.

[0011] Furthermore, the housing 2 has a rear panel 2B that extends vertically along its rear side. The banknote processing device 1 is envisioned to be installed below a store counter or the like, with the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 10 facing the user (customer) and the rear panel 2B facing the store staff. For this reason, the rear panel 2B of the banknote processing device 1 is positioned so that only people with access rights to the banknote processing device 1, such as store owners, store staff, maintenance personnel, and bank employees, can enter the space, and the device is operated under the assumption that users cannot access the rear panel 2B side.

[0012] The rear panel 2B of the housing has a rear stacker opening 2B1 formed behind the stacker 16D (described later) that connects the internal space 8 of the housing 2 to the outside, and a stacker door 16DA is provided that can open and close the rear stacker opening 2B1. The rear panel 2B of the housing also has a rear storage compartment opening 2B2 that connects the internal space 8 of the housing 2 to the outside, and is formed so that the safe housing 50 and the safe housing door 50A (described later) are exposed to the rear.

[0013] The banknote processing unit 5 includes a banknote deposit / discharge unit 10, a transport unit 12, an authentication unit 14, a stacker 16 (stackers 16A, 16B, 16C, and 16D), a collection unit 18, and a retracted collection unit 46, as well as a banknote control unit 4 that provides overall control of the banknote processing device 1. The banknote control unit 4 is centered around a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) and performs various processes such as deposit and withdrawal by reading and executing predetermined programs from ROM, flash memory, etc. (not shown). The banknote control unit 4 also has a storage unit consisting of RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, flash memory, etc., and stores various information in this storage unit. In the banknote processing device 1, the banknote control unit 4 provides overall control of each unit (banknote deposit / discharge unit 10, transport unit 12, authentication unit 14, stacker 16 (stackers 16A, 16B, 16C, and 16D), a collection unit 18, and a retracted collection unit 46).

[0014] The banknote processing unit 5 is broadly composed of a front unit 6 and a rear unit 7. In the first exemplary embodiment, the front unit 6 includes a banknote deposit / discharge section 10, a transport section 12, an authentication section 14, stackers 16A, 16B, 16C, and 16D (hereinafter collectively referred to as stacker 16), a collection box 18, a front linear transport unit 40, and a rear linear transport unit 48, while the rear unit 7 includes a retractable collection box 46 and a safe housing 50. The front unit 6 and the rear unit 7 are connected to each other when housed in the internal space 8. The front unit 6 is configured to slide in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 2, for example, by slide rails. When a transaction is performed between the banknote processing device 1 and the user, the front unit 6 is housed in the housing 2 and the front door 3 is closed and locked to protect the front unit 6. On the other hand, when maintenance work is being performed on the front unit 6 by an operator, the front door 3 of the banknote processing device 1 is unlocked and opened, the connection with the rear unit 7 is released, and as shown in Figure 5, the front unit 6 is pulled out from the housing 2 along the unit withdrawal direction Df, which is the forward direction, through the front opening 2A of the housing, thereby making it easy to perform work on each part of the front unit 6.

[0015] In this case, when maintenance work is performed on the banknote deposit / discharge section 10, stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C, collection unit 18, and front linear transport unit 40 of the front unit 6, even if the front unit 6 is not pulled out from the housing 2 along the unit withdrawal direction Df, if the front door 3 is opened while the front unit 6 is stored in the housing 2, these components become exposed to the outside, making maintenance work possible.

[0016] On the other hand, when maintenance work is performed on the front unit 6, specifically the transport section 12, identification section 14, stacker 16D, and rear linear transport unit 48, these components are not exposed to the outside if the front door 3 is simply opened while the front unit 6 is housed in the housing 2. Therefore, maintenance work becomes possible only when the front unit 6 is further disconnected from the rear unit 7 and pulled out from the housing 2 along the unit withdrawal direction Df. Specifically, when maintenance work is performed on the rear linear transport unit 48, as shown in Figure 5, the front unit 6 is pulled out from the housing 2 along the unit withdrawal direction Df, the stacker 16D is moved rearward from the front unit 6 on a slide rail and retracted from the rotation path of the rear linear transport unit 48, and the rear linear transport unit 48 rotates clockwise in Figure 5 using a pivot point provided at its lower end as a pivot, thereby enabling maintenance work on the rear linear transport unit 48.

[0017] [1-1-2. Configuration of the Banknote Deposit and Disbursement Unit] The banknote deposit and disbursement unit 10 has a deposit unit 20 and a disbursement unit 21, and by exchanging banknotes with the user, it allows the user to deposit banknotes or to disburse banknotes to the user. The deposit unit 20 has a container for storing banknotes, a placement unit 22 on which banknotes are placed, and a separation unit made up of various rollers that separates and feeds out the banknotes on the placement unit 22 one by one. During the deposit process, the user places banknotes on the plate-shaped placement unit 22. Above the placement unit 22, a top guide 23 is provided to guide the top surface of the banknotes placed on the placement unit 22. The deposit unit 20 separates the banknotes that have been inserted by the user and placed on the placement unit 22 one by one by the separation unit provided at the rear end of the inside of the deposit unit 20 and feeds them out to the transport unit 12.

[0018] The dispensing section 21 is located below the deposit section 20 and has a collection section for collecting the banknotes that have been transported, a shutter for opening and closing the opening, and a collection section composed of various rollers for taking in banknotes. It stores banknotes that cannot be deposited during the deposit process and will be returned to the user, and banknotes that will be dispensed during the dispensing process, and hands them over to the user.

[0019] [1-1-3. Internal Configuration of the Transport Unit Housing] A transport unit housing 26 is provided behind the banknote deposit / discharge unit 10. The transport unit housing 26 mainly contains the transport unit 12 and the authentication unit 14. The transport unit 12 consists of an annular transport unit 28, a deposit transport unit 30, an upper discharge transport unit 31, a lower discharge transport unit 32, a front storage unit transport unit 34, a rear storage unit transport unit 33, and a rear transport unit 35. Numerous rotating rollers and guides for guiding banknotes are appropriately arranged, and rectangular banknotes are transported along the transport path shown by the solid line in the figure with their shorter side aligned with the transport direction.

[0020] The annular transport section 28 is a circular transport path that transports banknotes in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions in Figure 1. Although this annular transport section 28 is connected to the banknote deposit / discharge section 10 via the deposit transport section 30, the upper discharge transport section 31, and the lower discharge transport section 32, the annular transport section 28 alone is not connected to the banknote deposit / discharge section 10 and is a closed annular transport path. The banknote processing device 1 is provided with only one such annular transport path. The deposit transport section 30, the upper discharge transport section 31, the lower discharge transport section 32, the front storage transport section 34, the rear storage transport section 33, and the rear transport section 35 are connected to this annular transport section 28.

[0021] The deposit transport section 30 connects the deposit section 20 and the annular transport section 28 along approximately the front-to-back direction. The upper withdrawal transport section 31 connects the withdrawal section 21 and approximately the front end of the annular transport section 28 along approximately the front-to-back direction below the deposit transport section 30. The lower withdrawal transport section 32 connects the withdrawal section 21 and the annular transport section 28 along approximately the front-to-back direction below the upper withdrawal transport section 31. Hereafter, the upper withdrawal transport section 31 and the lower withdrawal transport section 32 will be collectively referred to as the withdrawal transport section. The front storage transport section 34 connects the front linear transport unit 40 and the annular transport section 28 along approximately the vertical direction below the lower withdrawal transport section 32. The rear storage transport section 33 connects the front linear transport unit 40 and the annular transport section 28 along approximately the vertical direction behind the front storage transport section 34. Hereinafter, the front storage compartment transport section 34 and the rear storage compartment transport section 33 will be collectively referred to as the storage compartment transport section. The rear transport section 35 extends downward from approximately the rear end of the annular transport section 28 behind the rear storage compartment transport section 33, and curves to extend towards the rear.

[0022] At the front of the annular transport section 28, there is a forward branching section 36a where the banknote transport path branches off. The forward branching section 36a is provided with a forward switching section (not shown). The forward switching section consists of a blade (not shown) and a plurality of rollers (not shown) arranged around it, and the transport direction of the banknotes is switched by changing the inclination direction by rotating the blade. Each roller is arranged to face each other across the banknote transport path. This forward switching section, in accordance with the control of the banknote control unit 4, changes the inclination direction of the blade according to the transport destination of each banknote and rotates each roller in a predetermined rotation direction, thereby appropriately switching the transport direction of the banknotes and transporting them to the desired destination.

[0023] Specifically, the front switching unit changes the inclination direction of the blade to switch the banknote transport path in two ways. That is, the front switching unit forms a transport path connecting the authentication unit 14 and the front linear transport unit 40, or a transport path connecting the authentication unit 14 and the dispensing unit 21. For this reason, the front switching unit switches the transport path of banknotes transported clockwise from top to bottom in the annular transport unit 28 in one of two directions, to the front linear transport unit 40 or to the dispensing unit 21, as shown in Figure 3.

[0024] On the other hand, a lower branch section 36b is provided behind and below the front branch section 36a in the annular transport section 28, where the banknote transport path branches off. The lower branch section 36b is provided with a lower switching section (not shown) which has substantially the same configuration as the front switching section. Specifically, the lower switching section changes the inclination direction of the blade to switch the banknote transport path in two ways. That is, the lower switching section forms a transport path connecting the authentication section 14 and the front linear transport unit 40, or a transport path connecting the authentication section 14 and the dispensing section 21. For this reason, the lower switching section switches the transport path of banknotes transported from rear to front in a counterclockwise direction in the annular transport section 28 in two directions, to the front linear transport unit 40 or to the dispensing section 21, as shown in Figure 2.

[0025] On the other hand, a rear branching section 36c is provided at the rear of the annular transport section 28, where the banknote transport path branches off. The rear branching section 36c is provided with a rear switching section (not shown) which has a configuration substantially the same as that of the front switching section. Specifically, the rear switching section changes the inclination direction of the blade to switch the banknote transport path in two ways. That is, the lower switching section forms a transport path connecting the authentication section 14 and the lower branching section 36b, or a transport path connecting the authentication section 14 and the rear transport section 35. Therefore, the rear switching section switches the transport path of banknotes transported from top to bottom in a counterclockwise direction through the annular transport section 28 in two directions: the annular transport section 28 or the rear transport section 35.

[0026] The identification unit 14 is located near the top of the annular transport unit 28. Inside it, while transporting banknotes, it uses optical elements, magnetic detection elements, etc., to identify the denomination, authenticity, and degree of damage (genuine or damaged) of the banknotes, and notifies the banknote control unit 4 of the identification results. The identification unit 14 also reads and identifies the serial number, which is banknote identification information consisting of alphanumeric characters, etc., that is assigned to each banknote and pre-printed on one side of the banknote, from the image data of the captured banknotes. At this time, the identification unit 14 notifies the banknote control unit 4 of the identified characters as the identification result. In response, the banknote control unit 4 determines the destination of the banknotes based on the acquired identification results.

[0027] [1-1-4. Configuration of the Collection Unit and Stacker] Inside the housing 2, below the transport unit housing 26, the collection unit 18, stacker 16C, stacker 16B, and stacker 16A are arranged so as to be stacked on top of each other vertically from bottom to top. The stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C and the collection unit 18 are formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and banknotes are stored inside them with the paper surface facing up and down, arranged along the vertical direction. The stacker 16 and the collection unit 18 have the same length in the front-to-back direction.

[0028] Each stacker 16 has a predetermined set of banknote denominations to be stored and is identical to the others. The stacker 16 uses a storage and dispensing mechanism consisting of various rollers and the like, located at its front end, to take in banknotes transported from the front linear transport unit 40 through a dispensing and accumulating opening on the front side and store them, and also discharges the stored banknotes from the dispensing and accumulating opening and supplies them to the front linear transport unit 40.

[0029] The collection unit 18 uses a storage mechanism consisting of various rollers and the like, provided at its front end, to take in banknotes transported from the front linear transport unit 40 through an opening on its front side and store them. Specifically, the collection unit 18 collects and stores banknotes identified as damaged (so-called lost banknotes) by the authentication unit 14, banknotes identified as counterfeit, banknotes of denominations that are not returned, such as 5,000 yen notes and 2,000 yen notes, and banknotes that users have forgotten to take from the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 10 during transactions.

[0030] The collection compartment 18 is configured to be detachably attached to a slot provided in the banknote processing unit 5. The collection compartment 18 can be removed from the housing 2 by being pulled forward, and can be attached to the housing 2 by being aligned with the housing 2 and pushed backward. In other words, the collection compartment 18 is configured to be detachably attached to the front of the housing 2.

[0031] [1-1-5. Configuration of the Front Linear Conveyor Unit] A front linear conveyor unit 40 is provided in front of the stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C and the recovery unit 18. The front linear conveyor unit 40 extends vertically and is configured to be movable by being fixed to a frame (not shown).

[0032] The front linear conveying unit 40 is configured to be openable and closable by rotating around a pivot axis (not shown) as a fulcrum. When a transaction is performed between the banknote processing device 1 and the user, the front linear conveying unit 40 is closed together with the front door 3 to protect the banknote processing unit 5. On the other hand, when maintenance work is performed by an operator, the front linear conveying unit 40 is opened together with the front door 3 as needed. At this time, the storage and dispensing mechanisms of each 16A, 16B, and 16C move forward together with the front linear conveying unit 40. As a result, the area in front of the banknote storage space in the stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C is opened, and the banknote storage space is exposed to the outside. This makes it possible to remove banknotes from inside the stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C and to remove the collection box 18.

[0033] The front linear conveying unit 40 has a transfer port at its rear end where the upper end of the conveying path is connected to the lower ends of the rear storage conveying section 33 and the front storage conveying section 34. The front linear conveying unit 40 also has a conveying path that extends downward from the upper end and is connected to the unloading and accumulating ports of the stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C and the receiving port of the recovery storage 18 via transfer ports provided on the rear surface.

[0034] [1-1-6. Configuration of the stacker and the retrieval storage] Behind the stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C and the storage 18 inside the enclosure 2, the retrieval storage 46, the safe enclosure 50, and the stacker 16D are arranged so as to be stacked on top of each other vertically from bottom to top.

[0035] The retrieval storage unit 46 is made of metal or resin and is taller than the stacker 16. It is located inside the housing 2, behind the stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C, and below the stacker 16D. The retrieval storage unit 46 uses a storage mechanism consisting of various rollers to take in banknotes transported from the rear linear transport unit 48 through an opening on the front side and store them. Specifically, the retrieval storage unit 46 collects and stores excess banknotes from the stacker 16. At this time, the retrieval storage unit 46 stores the banknotes so that their thickness direction, which is perpendicular to the surface of the banknotes, is aligned with the vertical direction, and they overlap vertically. The retrieval storage unit 46 is enclosed by a thick, metal, box-shaped safe housing 50, and can only be accessed by staff of the security transport company. The length of the retrieval storage unit 46 in the front-to-back direction is approximately the same as the length of the stacker 16D in the front-to-back direction.

[0036] The safe enclosure 50 is a thick, metal box shape that encloses the entire storage compartment 46. An opening 50B is formed on the front side of the safe enclosure 50, which serves as a connection point that connects the internal space enclosed by the safe enclosure 50 to the outside and the transport path of the rear linear transport unit 48 to the receiving entrance of the storage compartment 46. The opening 50B may be shielded by a shutter or door (not shown) when the connection between the front unit 6 and the rear unit 7 is released, or it may be opened by a mechanism that is linked to the rearward pushing of the front unit 6, which opens the shutter or door. The safe enclosure 50 has an opening formed on its rear side, which serves as a rear opening for the safe enclosure that connects the internal space enclosed by the safe enclosure 50 to the outside, and a safe enclosure door 50A that can open and close this opening is provided on the rear side, which is the opening side. The storage compartment 46 is configured to slide in the front-rear direction relative to the safe enclosure 50, for example by a slide rail. When a transaction is being processed between the banknote processing device 1 and a user, the safe enclosure door 50A is closed and locked to protect the retrieval storage box 46. On the other hand, when maintenance work is being performed on the banknote processing device 1, the safe enclosure door 50A is unlocked and opened by the worker (i.e., staff of the security transport company), allowing the retrieval storage box 46 to be removed from the safe enclosure 50.

[0037] Maintenance work performed by an operator includes tasks such as the operator retrieving the contents of the emergency collection box 46 or replacing the emergency collection box 46 with another empty emergency collection box 46. Maintenance work may be performed when the banknote processing device 1 is not processing transactions with users, or when it is processing transactions. In other words, the emergency collection box 46 can be pulled out from the rear side of the housing 2 at any time. For this reason, the banknote processing device 1 can perform maintenance work nonstop without interrupting the processing of transactions with users.

[0038] The stacker 16D has a predetermined set of denominations of banknotes to be stored and has the same configuration as stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C. It is located above the retractable collection compartment 46, which is behind stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C inside the housing 2. The stacker 16D, with a storage and dispensing mechanism provided at its front end, takes in banknotes transported from the rear linear transport unit 48 through a dispensing and accumulating opening on its front side and stores them, and also discharges the stored banknotes from the dispensing and accumulating opening and supplies them to the rear linear transport unit 48.

[0039] Furthermore, the stacker 16D is configured to slide in the front-rear direction relative to the front unit 6 by a slide rail. As described above, the rear panel 2B of the housing has a stacker door 16DA on the rear side of the stacker 16D. The banknote processing device 1 protects the stacker 16D by closing and locking the stacker door 16DA when a transaction is being processed with a user. On the other hand, when maintenance work is being performed on the stacker 16D by an operator (i.e., a store owner or store staff), the banknote processing device 1 allows the operator to unlock and open the stacker door 16DA, enabling the operator to collect or replenish the banknotes in the stacker 16D.

[0040] [1-1-7. Configuration of the Rear Linear Conveyor Unit] A rear linear conveyor unit 48 is provided between the recovery compartment 18 and stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C inside the housing 2, and between stacker 16D and the retracted recovery compartment 46. The rear linear conveyor unit 48 extends vertically and is configured to be movable by being fixed to a frame (not shown).

[0041] In this rear linear conveying unit 48, the front end of the conveying path is connected to the rear end of the rear conveying section 35 at a transfer port provided near the upper end of the front end. Furthermore, in the rear linear conveying unit 48, the conveying path extends from the upper end downwards towards the rear, and is connected to a receiving port provided on the front side of the retrieval storage unit 46 and a dispensing and accumulating port provided on the front side of the stacker 16D via transfer ports provided on the rear surface.

[0042] [1-2. Deposit Processing] In such a configuration, the banknote processing apparatus 1 controls each part based on the banknote discrimination result and identification result by the discrimination unit 14, etc., and performs banknote deposit processing, withdrawal processing, etc.

[0043] That is, when a deposit transaction is selected by a user via an operation display unit (not shown) during a deposit transaction in the banknote processing apparatus 1, and further when a banknote BL is inserted into the deposit unit 20, the inserted banknote BL is separated from the deposit unit 20 one by one by the separation unit and conveyed to the annular conveyance unit 28 via the deposit conveyance unit 30 and then conveyed to the discrimination unit 14. Here, when the banknote processing apparatus 1 determines that it is possible to deposit and recycle as a withdrawal banknote based on the discrimination result and identification result of the discrimination unit 14, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the banknote BL is transferred from the annular conveyance unit 28 to the front-side linear conveyance unit 40 via the rear-side storage conveyance unit 33 and conveyed to and stored in the stackers 16A, 16B or 16C according to the denomination, or transferred from the annular conveyance unit 28 to the rear-side linear conveyance unit 48 via the rear-side conveyance unit 35 and conveyed to and stored in the stacker 16D.

[0044] On the other hand, when the banknote processing apparatus 1 determines that a banknote is a banknote that can be deposited based on the discrimination result and identification result of the discrimination unit 14, but due to the poor condition of the banknote or it being an old note, etc., it is determined that it should not be recycled as a withdrawal banknote (i.e., not suitable as a banknote to be withdrawn), as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the banknote BL is transferred from the annular conveyance unit 28 to the front-side linear conveyance unit 40 via the rear-side storage conveyance unit 33 and conveyed to and stored in the collection box 18. Also, on the other hand, when the banknote processing apparatus 1 determines, based on the discrimination result and identification result of the discrimination unit 14, that a banknote is not suitable for deposit, such as a banknote in extremely poor condition, a counterfeit note, a foreign object, or a banknote other than foreign currency that is not handled, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2, the banknote BL is returned from the annular conveyance unit 28 to the withdrawal unit 21 via the lower-side withdrawal conveyance unit 32 and returned to the user by causing the user to open the shutter.

[0045] [1-3. Withdrawal Process] On the other hand, during a withdrawal transaction, when a withdrawal transaction is selected by the user via an operation display unit (not shown) and the withdrawal amount is input, the banknote processing device 1 recognizes the number of banknotes for each denomination required according to the requested amount. According to the number of banknotes for each denomination, it feeds out banknotes BL from each stacker 16 (stacker 16A, 16B, or 16C) and conveys them to the discrimination unit 14 via the front linear conveyance unit 40 and the rear storage conveyance unit 33, or feeds out banknotes BL from stacker 16D and conveys them to the discrimination unit 14 via the rear linear conveyance unit 48 and the rear conveyance unit 35 to obtain the discrimination result and the identification result of the serial number. Here, when the banknote processing device 1 determines that withdrawal is possible based on the discrimination result and the identification result of the discrimination unit 14, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, it conveys the banknotes BL from the annular conveyance unit 28 to the withdrawal unit 21 via the upper withdrawal conveyance unit 31.

[0046] On the other hand, when the number of banknotes determined not to be suitable for withdrawal is, for example, 1 or less than a predetermined number, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3, the banknote processing device 1 transfers them from the annular conveyance unit 28 to the front storage conveyance unit 34 and then to the front linear conveyance unit 40 and conveys them to the recovery bin 18 for storage.

[0047] When the banknotes BL for the requested amount are accumulated in the withdrawal unit 21, the banknote processing device 1 causes the user to open the shutter. As a result, it becomes possible to receive the banknotes BL accumulated in the withdrawal unit 21, and the user receives these banknotes BL.

[0048] [1-4. Method for Removing the Retractable Recovery Bin from the Rear Side of the Housing] Next, a method for removing the retractable recovery bin 46 from the banknote processing unit 5 by an operator on the rear side of the housing 2 will be described using FIG. 4.

[0049] When the safe housing 50 is stored in the housing 2 and the safe housing door 50A is unlocked and opened by the operator, the rear of the retractable recovery bin 46 is exposed outside the safe housing 50, and the retractable recovery bin 46 can be pulled out from the safe housing 50. In this state, the operator pulls out the retractable recovery bin 46 almost straight back along the pulling-out direction D1, which is the rear direction, by a slide rail (not shown) and removes it from the banknote processing unit 5.

[0050] On the other hand, when attaching the retractable collection unit 46 to the banknote processing unit 5 from the rear side of the housing 2, the operator performs the operation in the reverse procedure to the removal of the retractable collection unit 46 from the rear side as described above.

[0051] [1-5. Method for pulling out the front unit from the front side of the housing] Next, the method for pulling out the front unit 6 when an operator on the front side of the housing 2 pulls it out of the housing 2 will be explained using Figure 5. When the front door 3 is opened by the operator and the front unit 6 is pulled out from the housing 2 towards the front side along the unit pulling direction Df, the front unit 6 is positioned in front of the front opening 2A of the housing. At this time, the transport path of the rear linear transport unit 48 is inserted into the opening 50B of the safe housing 50, and the front unit 6 and the rear unit 7 are housed in the internal space 8 and connected to each other. When the front unit 6 is pulled out towards the front side along the unit pulling direction Df, the transport path of the rear linear transport unit 48 is removed from the opening 50B of the safe housing 50, and the connection between the front unit 6 and the rear unit 7 is released. In the first exemplary embodiment, the front unit 6 includes the stacker 16D, so the stacker 16D is pulled out towards the front side of the housing 2. Meanwhile, the rear unit 7, consisting of the safe enclosure 50 and the retractable retrieval compartment 46, is disconnected from the front unit 6 and remains inside the enclosure 2 without being pulled out to the front side along with the front unit 6. In this state, the worker performs maintenance work on the front unit 6.

[0052] On the other hand, when pushing the front unit 6 into the interior of the housing 2 from the front side of the housing 2, the worker performs the operation in the reverse order of pulling out the front unit 6 from the front side as described above.

[0053] Incidentally, Figure 5 shows the state in which the front unit 6 is being pulled out from the front side of the housing 2, and at the same time, the retractable recovery compartment 46 is being removed from the rear side of the housing 2, as shown in Figure 4.

[0054] [1-6. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, the banknote processing device 1 encloses the entire storage and collection chamber 46 with a thick metal safe case 50, and the safe case door 50A, which serves as the rear door, is closed and locked during transaction operations. As a result, the banknote processing device 1 can ensure the security of the storage and collection chamber 46 itself, which stores a large amount of banknotes.

[0055] Furthermore, the banknote processing device 1 positions the retractable collection compartment 46 at the rearmost part of the banknote processing unit 5. This allows the banknote processing device 1 to position the retractable collection compartment 46 in a location physically separated from the front side accessible to the user, making it difficult for the user to access the retractable collection compartment 46. At the same time, it allows the retractable collection compartment 46 to be removed from the rear of the housing 2, which is difficult for the user to access and offers high security.

[0056] Furthermore, when the front door 3 of the banknote processing device 1 is opened and the front unit 6 is disconnected from the rear unit 7 and pulled out from the front side of the housing 2 in the unit withdrawal direction Df, the rear unit 7, which is the retractable collection box 46 and the safe housing 50, is disconnected from the front unit 6 and does not get pulled out to the front side together with the front unit 6 (i.e., the safe housing 50 remains inside the housing 2), thus maintaining its position. For this reason, even when the front door 3 is opened and the front unit 6 is pulled out to the front side of the housing 2, the banknote processing device 1 can keep the retractable collection box 46 in a position physically separated from the front side accessible to the user, thus maintaining a state where it is difficult for the user to access the retractable collection box 46. In addition, the banknote processing device 1 eliminates the need for the operator to pull out the sturdy and heavy metal safe housing 50 to the front side of the housing 2, and reduces the weight that the operator needs to move when pulling out the front unit 6 to the front side of the housing 2.

[0057] Furthermore, the banknote processing device 1 allows the front door 3 to be locked and unlocked with keys held by workers such as store owners, store staff, maintenance personnel, and bank employees of financial institutions; the safe enclosure door 50A to be locked and unlocked with keys held by workers such as security transport company staff; and the stacker door 16DA to be locked and unlocked with keys held by workers such as store owners and store staff. As a result, the banknote processing device 1 can clearly distinguish access rights to banknotes between the front door 3 located on the front side, the safe enclosure door 50A located on the rear side, and the stacker door 16DA located on the rear side, all within the same device.

[0058] Furthermore, the banknote processing device 1 has an opening for the retractable collection compartment 46 on the front side of the retractable collection compartment 46, so that when maintenance work is performed on the front unit 6, the front unit 6, which is positioned in front of the retractable collection compartment 46, is pulled out to the front side along the unit withdrawal direction Df so that it is separated from the retractable collection compartment 46. As a result, compared to the case where the opening for the retractable collection compartment 46 is provided at a location other than the front side, such as the top side of the retractable collection compartment 46, the banknote processing device 1 can prevent the retractable collection compartment 46 from physically interfering with the front unit 6 when the front unit 6 is pulled out to the front side along the unit withdrawal direction Df, and the retractable collection compartment 46 can be easily left inside the housing 2.

[0059] According to the above configuration, the banknote processing device 1 includes a housing 2 with a front opening 2A that connects the internal space 8 to the outside, formed on the front side facing the user; a front door 3 that can open and close the front opening 2A; a front unit 6 that is housed in the internal space 8 and is configured to move in the unit withdrawal direction Df, which is the front side, when the front opening 2A is opened from a state where the front opening 2A is closed by the front door 3; and a rear unit 7 that is housed behind the front unit 6 in the internal space 8 and is configured to move to the rear side. The front unit 6 and the rear unit 7 are connected to each other when housed in the internal space 8, and when the front unit 6 moves from the housing 2 in the unit withdrawal direction Df, the rear unit 7 is disconnected from the front unit 6 and remains housed in the internal space 8 without moving in the unit withdrawal direction Df.

[0060] As a result, even when the front door 3 is opened and the front unit 6 is pulled out from the housing 2 to the front, the banknote processing device 1 can keep the retractable collection unit 46 positioned at a location physically separated from the front side accessible to the user, thus maintaining a state where it is difficult for the user to access the retractable collection unit 46.

[0061] [2. Second Exemplary Embodiment] [2-1. Internal Configuration of the Banknote Processing Device] As shown in Figure 6, where the same reference numerals are used for components corresponding to those in Figure 1, the banknote processing device 101 according to the second exemplary embodiment differs from the banknote processing device 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that it has a housing 102 instead of housing 2 and a banknote processing unit 105 instead of banknote processing unit 5, but is otherwise configured similarly. The housing 102 according to the second exemplary embodiment differs from the housing 2 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that the stacker door 16DA is omitted on the rear panel 2B of the housing, and a safe opening 2B3 is provided on the rear of the housing instead of the stacker opening 2B1 and the retractable collection compartment opening 2B2, but is otherwise configured similarly. The rear panel 2B of the housing 102 is formed such that a rear safe opening 2B3, which connects the internal space 8 of the housing 102 to the outside, exposes the safe housing 150, the safe housing door 150A1 for the retrieval safe, and the safe housing door 150A2 for the stacker (described later) to the rear. The banknote processing unit 105 according to the second exemplary embodiment differs from the banknote processing unit 5 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that it has a front unit 106 instead of the front unit 6 and a rear unit 107 instead of the rear unit 7, but is otherwise configured similarly.

[0062] The front unit 106 according to the second exemplary embodiment differs from the front unit 6 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that the stacker 16D is omitted, but is otherwise configured similarly. The rear unit 107 according to the second exemplary embodiment differs from the rear unit 7 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that the stacker 16D is added and has a safe enclosure 150 instead of the safe enclosure 50, but is otherwise configured similarly.

[0063] Thus, the front unit 106 according to the second exemplary embodiment includes a banknote deposit / discharge section 10, a transport section 12, an authentication section 14, stackers 16A, 16B and 16C, a collection box 18, a front linear transport unit 40, and a rear linear transport unit 48, while the rear unit 107 includes a stacker 16D, a retractable collection box 46, and a safe housing 150. The front unit 106 and the rear unit 107 are connected to each other when housed in the internal space 8.

[0064] [2-2. Configuration of the Safe Enclosure] The safe enclosure 150 is a thick, metal box shape that encloses both the stacker 16D and the storage compartment 46. Between the stacker 16D and the storage compartment 46, plate members are arranged to separate the interior of the safe enclosure 150 into distinct spaces that house the stacker 16D and the storage compartment 46, respectively. The safe enclosure 150 also has openings 150B1 and 150B2 formed on the front side that connect the internal space enclosed by the safe enclosure 150 to the outside, and connect the transport path of the rear linear transport unit 48 to the feed and collection port of the stacker 16D and the receiving port of the storage compartment 46, respectively. Furthermore, the openings 150B1 and 150B2 may be shielded by a shutter or door (not shown) when the connection between the front unit 106 and the rear unit 107 is released, or they may be opened by a mechanism that opens the shutter or door in conjunction with the rearward pushing of the front unit 106. In addition, the safe housing 150 has an opening formed on its rear side that connects the internal space enclosed by the safe housing 150 to the outside, and a safe housing door for the stacker 150A2 and a safe housing door for the retrieval storage 150A1, which can open and close this opening, are provided on the rear side which is the opening. The safe housing door for the stacker 150A2 is located behind the stacker 16D, and the safe housing door for the retrieval storage 150A1 is located behind the retrieval storage 46.

[0065] When only the safe enclosure door 150A2 for the stacker is unlocked, the safe enclosure door 150A1 for the emergency retrieval storage is locked and closed, so it is not possible to access the emergency retrieval storage 46 from outside the safe enclosure 150. Similarly, when only the safe enclosure door 150A1 for the emergency retrieval storage is unlocked, the safe enclosure door 150A2 for the stacker is locked and closed, so it is not possible to access the stacker 16D from outside the safe enclosure 150.

[0066] When a transaction is being processed between the banknote processing device 101 and a user, both the stacker safe enclosure door 150A2 and the emergency recovery safe enclosure door 150A1 are closed and locked, thereby protecting the stacker 16D and the emergency recovery safe 46.

[0067] On the other hand, during maintenance work in which banknotes are collected or replenished in the stacker 16D by the store owner, store staff, or other workers, the stacker safe enclosure door 150A2 is unlocked and opened by the workers, allowing them to collect or replenish banknotes in the stacker 16D. At this time, the workers do not have the authority to unlock the safe enclosure door 150A1 for the emergency collection safe, and therefore cannot unlock the safe enclosure door 150A1 for the emergency collection safe.

[0068] On the other hand, in the event of maintenance work in which the evacuated collection box 46 is removed from the banknote processing device 101 by workers such as staff of the security transport company, the evacuated collection box 46 can be removed from the safe enclosure 150 by the workers such as staff of the security transport company unlocking and opening the safe enclosure door 150A1 for the evacuated collection box. At this time, the workers do not have the authority to unlock the safe enclosure door 150A2 for the stacker, and therefore cannot unlock the safe enclosure door 150A2 for the stacker.

[0069] [2-3. Method for removing the retractable collection unit and pulling out the stacker from the rear side of the housing] Next, the method for removing the retractable collection unit 46 from the banknote processing unit 105 by an operator on the rear side of the housing 102, and the method for pulling out the stacker 16D, will be explained using Figure 7.

[0070] With the safe enclosure 150 housed in the enclosure 102, when the safe enclosure door 150A1 for the emergency retrieval compartment is unlocked and opened by the worker, the rear surface of the emergency retrieval compartment 46 is exposed to the outside of the safe enclosure 150, and the emergency retrieval compartment 46 becomes removable from the safe enclosure 150. In this state, the worker pulls the emergency retrieval compartment 46 out almost directly backward along the pull-out direction D1 using a slide rail (not shown) and removes it from the banknote processing unit 105.

[0071] On the other hand, when attaching the retractable collection unit 46 to the banknote processing unit 105 from the rear side of the housing 102, the operator performs the operation in the reverse procedure to the removal of the retractable collection unit 46 from the rear side as described above.

[0072] Furthermore, with the safe enclosure 150 housed in the enclosure 102, when the worker unlocks and opens the safe enclosure door 150A2 for the stacker, the rear surface of the stacker 16D is exposed to the outside of the safe enclosure 150, and the stacker 16D becomes pullable out of the safe enclosure 150. In this state, the worker pulls the stacker 16D out almost directly backward along the pull-out direction D1 using a slide rail (not shown) and collects or replenishes banknotes in the stacker 16D.

[0073] On the other hand, when pushing the stacker 16D into the banknote processing unit 105 from the rear side of the housing 102, the operator performs the operation in the reverse order of pulling out the stacker 16D from the rear side as described above.

[0074] For the sake of explanation, Figure 7 shows a state in which the removal of the retrieval storage unit 46 and the drawing out of the stacker 16D are being performed simultaneously.

[0075] [2-4. Method for pulling out the front unit from the front side of the housing] Next, the method for pulling out the front unit 106 when an operator on the front side of the housing 102 pulls it out of the housing 102 will be explained using Figure 8. When the front door 3 is opened by the operator and the front unit 106 is pulled out from the housing 102 towards the front side along the unit pulling direction Df, the front unit 106 is positioned in front of the front opening 2A of the housing. At this time, the transport path of the rear linear transport unit 48 is inserted into the openings 150B1 and 150B2 of the safe housing 150, and the front unit 106 and the rear unit 107 are stored in the internal space 8 and connected to each other. When the front unit 106 is pulled out towards the front side along the unit pulling direction Df, the transport path of the rear linear transport unit 48 is removed from the openings 150B1 and 150B2 of the safe housing 150, and the connection between the front unit 106 and the rear unit 107 is released. In the second exemplary embodiment, since the front unit 106 does not include the stacker 16D, the stacker 16D is disconnected from the front unit 106 and remains inside the housing 102 without being pulled out to the front side of the housing 102. As a result, the rear unit 107, which consists of the safe housing 150, the retrieval storage unit 46, and the stacker 16D, is disconnected from the front unit 106 and remains inside the housing 102 without being pulled out to the front side together with the front unit 106. In this state, the worker performs maintenance work on the front unit 106.

[0076] On the other hand, when pushing the front unit 106 into the interior of the housing 102 from the front side of the housing 102, the worker performs the operation in the reverse order of pulling out the front unit 106 from the front side as described above.

[0077] [2-5. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, the banknote processing device 101 encloses the entire retraction and collection box 46 and stacker 16D with a thick metal safe case 150, and the safe case door 150A is closed and locked during transaction operations. As a result, the banknote processing device 101 can ensure the security of the stacker 16D itself in addition to the retraction and collection box 46 itself.

[0078] Furthermore, the banknote processing device 101 is configured to allow the operator to lock and unlock the stacker safe enclosure door 150A2, which corresponds to the stacker 16D, and the safe enclosure door 150A1, which serves as the rear door for the emergency recovery storage unit 46, depending on the operator's authority.

[0079] Furthermore, the banknote processing device 101 is designed so that when the front door 3 is opened and the front unit 106 is pulled out from the front side of the housing 102 in the unit withdrawal direction Df, the rear unit 107, the safe housing 150, is not pulled out to the front side together with the front unit 106 (i.e., the safe housing 150 remains inside the housing 102) and maintains its position. As a result, even when the front door 3 is opened and the front unit 106 is pulled out to the front side from the housing 102, the banknote processing device 101 can keep the retractable collection unit 46 and the stacker 16D in a position physically separated from the front side accessible to the user, thus maintaining a state where it is difficult for the user to access the retractable collection unit 46 and the stacker 16D. In addition, the banknote processing device 101 eliminates the need for an operator to pull out the sturdy and heavy metal safe housing 150 to the front side from the housing 102, and reduces the weight that an operator needs to move when pulling out the front unit 106 to the front side from the housing 102. Furthermore, compared to the banknote processing device 1, the banknote processing device 101 eliminates the need for the operator to pull the stacker 16D out of the housing 102 towards the front, and further reduces the weight that the operator needs to move compared to when the front unit 6 is pulled out of the housing 2 towards the front.

[0080] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, when the front unit 106 of the banknote processing device 101 is pulled out to the front from the housing 102, the banknote processing unit 105 is pulled out to the front by the length of the stacker 16D as shown in Figure 5, which reduces the space required in front of the banknote processing device 101, making it possible to operate in even smaller stores.

[0081] In other respects as well, the banknote processing device 101 according to the second exemplary embodiment can achieve the same effects as the banknote processing device 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment.

[0082] [3. Third Exemplary Embodiment] [3-1. Internal Configuration of the Banknote Processing Device] As shown in Figure 9, where the same reference numerals are used for components corresponding to those in Figure 1, the banknote processing device 201 according to the third exemplary embodiment differs from the banknote processing device 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that it has a housing 202 instead of housing 2 and a banknote processing unit 205 instead of banknote processing unit 5, but is otherwise configured similarly. The housing 202 according to the second exemplary embodiment differs from the housing 2 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that the stacker door 16DA is omitted in the rear housing panel 2B, and a storage compartment opening 2B4 is provided on the rear housing instead of the stacker opening 2B1 and the storage compartment opening 2B2 on the rear housing, but is otherwise configured similarly. The rear panel 2B of the housing 202 is formed such that an opening 2B4 for a rear storage compartment, which connects the internal space 8 of the housing 202 to the outside, exposes the safe housing 250 and the safe housing door 250A (described later) to the rear. The banknote processing unit 205 according to the third exemplary embodiment differs from the banknote processing unit 5 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that it has a front unit 206 instead of a front unit 6 and a rear unit 207 instead of a rear unit 7, but is otherwise configured similarly.

[0083] The front unit 206 according to the third exemplary embodiment differs from the front unit 6 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that it has a linear conveying unit 43 and a recycling cassette 44A instead of the stacker 16D and the rear linear conveying unit 48, but is otherwise configured similarly. The rear unit 207 according to the third exemplary embodiment differs from the rear unit 7 according to the first exemplary embodiment in that it has a retractable collection unit 46 and a recycling cassette 44B and a safe housing 250 instead of the safe housing 50, but is otherwise configured similarly.

[0084] Thus, the front unit 206 in the third exemplary embodiment includes a banknote deposit / discharge unit 10, a transport unit 12, an authentication unit 14, stackers 16A, 16B and 16C, a collection unit 18, a front linear transport unit 40, a linear transport unit 43, and a recycling cassette 44A, while the rear unit 207 includes a recycling cassette 44B and a safe housing 250. The front unit 206 and the rear unit 207 are connected to each other when housed in the internal space 8.

[0085] [3-2. Configuration of the Recycle Cassette and Linear Transport Unit] The recycle cassettes 44A and 44B (hereinafter collectively referred to as the recycle cassette 44) are made of metal or resin and are installed inside the housing 202 behind the collection compartment 18 and the stackers 16A, 16B, and 16C, aligned horizontally from front to back. The recycle cassette 44 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is longer vertically than the stacker 16, and stores banknotes inside with the paper surface facing up and down, aligned vertically. The banknote storage capacity of the recycle cassette 44 is larger than that of the stacker 16.

[0086] Each recycling cassette 44 has a predetermined set of banknote denominations to be stored in it, and they are identical in configuration to each other. The recycling cassette 44, via a storage and dispensing mechanism located at its upper end, takes in banknotes transported from the linear transport unit 43 through a dispensing and accumulating opening and stores them, and also discharges the stored banknotes from the dispensing and accumulating opening to supply them to the linear transport unit 43. The lower end of the recycling cassette 44 is at the same height as the lower end of the collection unit 18, and the upper end is at the same height as the upper end of the stacker 16A. The length of the recycling cassette 44 in the front-to-back direction is approximately the same as the length of the stacker 16 in the vertical direction.

[0087] The linear conveying unit 43 is positioned above the recycling cassettes 44A and 44B. At a transfer port provided at the front end of the linear conveying unit 43, the front end of the conveying path is connected to the rear end of the conveying path of the rear conveying unit 35. Furthermore, the conveying path of the linear conveying unit 43 extends from the front end towards the rear and downwards, and is connected to the dispensing and collection ports of the recycling cassettes 44A and 44B via transfer ports provided at the bottom surface.

[0088] [3-3. Configuration of the Safe Enclosure] The safe enclosure 250 is a thick, metal box shape that encloses the entire recycling cassette 44B. An opening 250B is formed on the top side of the safe enclosure 250 that connects the internal space enclosed by the safe enclosure 250 to the outside, and connects the transport path of the linear transport unit 43 to the dispensing and collection port of the recycling cassette 44B. The opening 250B may be shielded by a shutter or door (not shown) when the connection between the front unit 206 and the rear unit 207 is released, or it may be opened by a mechanism that opens the shutter or door in conjunction with pushing the front unit 206 in the rearward direction. The safe enclosure 250 has an opening formed on the rear side that connects the internal space enclosed by the safe enclosure 250 to the outside, and a safe enclosure door 250A that can open and close this opening is provided on the rear side, which is the opening side.

[0089] The banknote processing device 201 protects the recycled cassette 44B by closing and locking the safe enclosure door 250A when a transaction is being processed with the user.

[0090] On the other hand, in the case of maintenance work in which the recycled cassette 44B is removed from the banknote processing device 201 by workers such as staff of the security transport company, the recycled cassette 44B can be removed from the safe enclosure 150 by unlocking and opening the safe enclosure door 250A by workers such as staff of the security transport company.

[0091] [3-4. Method for removing the recycling cassette from the rear side of the housing] Next, the method for removing the recycling cassette 44B from the banknote processing unit 205 by an operator on the rear side of the housing 202 will be explained using Figure 10.

[0092] With the safe enclosure 250 housed in the enclosure 202, when the safe enclosure door 250A is unlocked and opened by the operator, the rear surface of the recycling cassette 44B is exposed to the outside of the safe enclosure 250, and the recycling cassette 44B becomes removable from the safe enclosure 250. In this state, the operator pulls the recycling cassette 44B out almost directly backward along the pull-out direction D1 using a slide rail (not shown) and removes it from the banknote processing unit 205.

[0093] On the other hand, when installing the recycled cassette 44B into the banknote processing unit 205 from the rear side of the housing 202, the operator performs the operation in the reverse order of removing the recycled cassette 44B from the rear side as described above.

[0094] [3-5. Method for pulling out the front unit from the front side of the housing] Next, the method for pulling out the front unit 206 when an operator on the front side of the housing 202 pulls it out of the housing 202 will be explained using Figure 11. When the front door 3 is opened by the operator and the front unit 206 is pulled out from the housing 202 towards the front side along the unit pulling direction Df, the front unit 206 is positioned in front of the front opening 2A of the housing. At this time, the transport path of the linear transport unit 43 is connected to the opening 250B of the safe housing 250, and the front unit 206 and the rear unit 207 are stored in the internal space 8 and connected to each other. When the front unit 206 is pulled out towards the front side along the unit pulling direction Df, the transport path of the linear transport unit 43 is disconnected from the opening 250B of the safe housing 250, and the connection between the front unit 206 and the rear unit 207 is released. In the third exemplary embodiment, since the front unit 206 does not include the recycling cassette 44B and the safe enclosure 250, the recycling cassette 44B and the safe enclosure 250 are disconnected from the front unit 206 and remain inside the enclosure 202 without being pulled out to the front side of the enclosure 202. Therefore, the rear unit 207, which includes the recycling cassette 44B and the safe enclosure 250, is disconnected from the front unit 206 and remains inside the enclosure 202 without being pulled out to the front side together with the front unit 206. In this state, the worker performs maintenance work on the front unit 206.

[0095] On the other hand, when pushing the front unit 206 into the interior of the housing 202 from the front side of the housing 202, the worker performs the operation in the reverse order of pulling out the front unit 206 from the front side as described above.

[0096] [3-6. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, the banknote processing device 201 encloses the entire recycled cassette 44B with a thick metal safe case 250, and the safe case door 250A, which serves as the rear door, is closed and locked during transaction operations. As a result, the banknote processing device 201 can ensure the security of the recycled cassette 44B.

[0097] Furthermore, when the front door 3 is opened and the front unit 206 is pulled out from the front of the housing 202 in the unit withdrawal direction Df, the banknote processing device 201 is designed so that the rear unit 207, which is the recycling cassette 44B and the safe housing 250, are not pulled out to the front side together with the front unit 206 (i.e., the safe housing 250 remains inside the housing 202) and maintains its position. As a result, even when the front door 3 is opened and the front unit 206 is pulled out to the front side from the housing 202, the banknote processing device 201 can keep the recycling cassette 44B in a position physically separated from the front side accessible to the user, thus maintaining a state where it is difficult for the user to access the recycling cassette 44B. In addition, the banknote processing device 201 eliminates the need for the operator to pull out the sturdy and heavy metal safe housing 250 to the front side from the housing 202, and reduces the weight that the operator needs to move when pulling out the front unit 206 to the front side from the housing 202.

[0098] In other respects as well, the banknote processing device 201 according to the third exemplary embodiment can achieve the same effects as the banknote processing device 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment.

[0099] [4. Other Exemplary Embodiments] In the first exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 1 was described in a state in which the safe housing 50 and the retractable collection box 46 remain inside the housing 2 when the front unit 6 is pulled out from the housing 2. The disclosure is not limited to this, and the banknote processing device 1 may include the stacker 16D in the rear unit 7 instead of the front unit 6, and when the front unit 6 is pulled out from the housing 2, the stacker 16D may remain inside the housing 2 together with the safe housing 50 and the retractable collection box 46.

[0100] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 1 is described in a case where the retractable collection box 46 and the safe housing 50 are positioned on the lower side and the stacker 16D is positioned on the upper side. The disclosure is not limited to this, and the banknote processing device 1 may also be configured with the positions of the safe housing 50 and the retractable collection box 46 and the stacker 16D reversed in the vertical direction, with the retractable collection box 46 and the safe housing 50 on the upper side and the stacker 16D on the lower side. Alternatively, the banknote processing device 1 may be configured so that the retractable collection box 46 and the safe housing 50 and the stacker 16D are aligned in the left-right direction.

[0101] Furthermore, in the second exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 101 is described in a case where the retractable collection compartment 46 is positioned lower and the stacker 16D is positioned upper inside the safe housing 150. The disclosure is not limited to this, and the banknote processing device 101 may also be configured with the retractable collection compartment 46 and the stacker 16D positioned in the opposite vertical directions inside the safe housing 150, with the retractable collection compartment 46 positioned upper and the stacker 16D positioned lower. Alternatively, the banknote processing device 101 may be configured so that the retractable collection compartment 46 and the stacker 16D are aligned horizontally.

[0102] Furthermore, in the second exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 101 is provided with a separate safe enclosure door 150A2 for the stacker and a safe enclosure door 150A1 for the emergency retrieval compartment on the safe enclosure 150, and when the safe enclosure door 150A2 for the stacker is unlocked, only the stacker 16D is accessible, and when the safe enclosure door 150A1 for the emergency retrieval compartment is unlocked, only the emergency retrieval compartment 46 is accessible. The disclosure is not limited to this, and depending on the method of operation of the authority, the banknote processing device 101 may be provided with only one door on the safe enclosure 150 that integrates the safe enclosure door 150A2 for the stacker and the safe enclosure door 150A1 for the emergency retrieval compartment, and when this door is unlocked, both the stacker 16D and the emergency retrieval compartment 46 are accessible.

[0103] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 1 is configured such that the front door 3 can be unlocked by the store owner, store staff, maintenance personnel, or bank employees of a financial institution, the safe enclosure door 50A can be unlocked by staff of a security transport company, and the stacker door 16DA can be unlocked by the store owner or store staff. This disclosure is not limited to this, and the banknote processing device 1 may also be configured so that the front door 3, the safe enclosure door 50A, and the stacker door 16DA can be unlocked by various other methods of operating authority. The same applies to the second or third exemplary embodiment.

[0104] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment described above, when the retractable collection compartment 46 is removed from the rear side of the housing 2, the case is described in Figure 4 where the safe housing door 50A provided on the rear side of the safe housing 50 is opened and the retractable collection compartment 46 is pulled out almost directly backward along the pulling direction D1 and removed from the banknote processing unit 5. The disclosure is not limited thereto, and the banknote processing device 1 may be provided with, or in place of, the safe housing door 50, or a safe housing side door on at least one of the left or right side of the safe housing 50, and when the retractable collection compartment 46 is removed from the rear side of the housing 2, the safe housing side door is opened and the retractable collection compartment 46 is pulled out along the left or right direction and removed from the banknote processing unit 5. The same applies to the safe housing 150 in the second exemplary embodiment and the recycling cassette 44B in the third exemplary embodiment.

[0105] Furthermore, in the second exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 101 is described in which the stacker 16D and the retractable collection compartment 46 are housed within the safe housing 150. The disclosure is not limited thereto, and the banknote processing device 101 may house other storage compartments in addition to the stacker 16D and the retractable collection compartment 46 within the safe housing 150.

[0106] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 1 may be provided with a replenishment and collection cassette instead of the storage and collection unit 46, which is used for collection processing to collect banknotes from stackers 16A, 16B, 16C, or 16D, replenishment processing to replenish banknotes to stackers 16A, 16B, 16C, or 16D, and verification processing to confirm whether the cash balance inside the banknote processing device 1 is correct. Alternatively, the banknote processing device 1 may be provided with stackers 16, a collection unit, etc., instead of the storage and collection unit 46. The same applies to the second exemplary embodiment.

[0107] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 1 may be provided with a replenishment and collection cassette, a retracted collection box 46, a collection box, etc., instead of the stacker 16D. The same applies to the second exemplary embodiment.

[0108] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 1 may omit the stacker 16D. The same applies to the second exemplary embodiment.

[0109] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 1 may have a rear opening formed on the rear side of the housing 2 that connects the internal space 8 enclosed by the housing 2 to the outside. The same applies to the second or third exemplary embodiment.

[0110] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 1 is described in the case where the front unit 6 is pulled out from the housing 2 towards the front side along the unit withdrawal direction Df by an operator, as shown in Figure 5. The disclosure is not limited to this, and the banknote processing device 1 may also push the front unit 6 out from the housing 2 towards the front side along the unit withdrawal direction Df by a drive source such as a motor. The same applies to the second or third exemplary embodiment.

[0111] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment described above, the banknote processing device 1 may be operated as a banknote-only machine by omitting the deposit section 20 within the banknote deposit / discharge section 10, or by omitting the banknote deposit / discharge section 21 within the banknote deposit / discharge section 10. The same applies to the second or third exemplary embodiment.

[0112] Furthermore, the first exemplary embodiment described above described the application of this disclosure to a banknote processing device 1 that handles the deposit and withdrawal of banknotes used in checkout counters of supermarkets, convenience stores, etc. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and may also be applied to various other devices such as automatic ticket vending machines installed in train stations, where the level of access privileges for people differs between the front and back of the device, or to devices that handle various other media such as securities. The same applies to the second or third exemplary embodiment.

[0113] Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above and other exemplary embodiments. That is, the scope of this disclosure extends to exemplary embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the exemplary embodiments described above and other exemplary embodiments. In addition, the scope of this disclosure extends when a part of the configuration described in any exemplary embodiment from the exemplary embodiments described above and other exemplary embodiments is extracted and used to replace or adapt a part of the configuration of any exemplary embodiment from the exemplary embodiments described above and other exemplary embodiments, or when the extracted part of the configuration is added to any exemplary embodiment.

[0114] Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments described above describe a case in which a banknote processing device 1, 101, or 201 is configured by a housing 2, 102, or 202 as a housing, a front door 3 as a front door, a front unit 6, 106, or 206 as a front unit, and a rear unit 7, 107, or 207 as a rear unit. The disclosure is not limited to this, and a media processing device may be configured by a housing, a front door, a front unit, or a rear unit having various other configurations.

[0115] This disclosure can also be used in various transport devices that transport and identify media such as banknotes.

[0116] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-172712 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0117] All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually noted to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A media processing apparatus comprising: a housing having a front opening that connects the internal space to the outside, formed on the front side facing the user; a front door that can open and close the front opening of the housing; a front unit configured to be movable to the front when the front opening of the housing is opened, from a state in which it is housed in the internal space and the front opening of the housing is closed by the front door; and a rear unit configured to be movable to the rear when it is housed behind the front unit in the internal space, wherein the front unit and the rear unit are connected to each other when housed in the internal space, and when the front unit moves from the housing to the front, the rear unit is disconnected from the front unit and remains housed in the internal space without moving to the front.

2. The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rear door provided on the rear side of the housing, wherein the rear unit is configured to move to the rear side when the rear door is opened, from a state in which it is housed in the internal space and closed by the rear door.

3. The media processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a safe housing provided in the internal space, which houses the rear unit and has a connecting portion for connecting the front unit and the rear unit, wherein the safe housing is provided with a safe housing door which is the rear door that can open and close a rear opening of the safe housing that connects the internal space housing the rear unit to the outside, when the front unit moves from the housing to the front, the rear unit and the safe housing remain housed in the internal space without moving to the front, and when the rear unit is removed from the rear of the housing, the safe housing door is opened and the rear unit can be removed from the rear while the safe housing is housed in the housing.

4. The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rear unit is a storage compartment for storing media, and the storage compartment stores the media transported from the transport path of the front unit.

5. The media processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the front door and the rear door are unlocked by different authorities.

6. The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rear unit is housed at the rearmost position in the internal space.

7. The media processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rear unit is a recovery container for recovering the media.

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