Media processing device

Abstract

A media processing device according to the invention includes: a first guide surface facing a transport path along the transport direction in which a paper-like media should be transported; a second guide surface that is arranged on a reverse advancing direction side of the first guide surface in an direction opposite to the transport direction and that is inclined so as to approach the transport path as the media advances in the transport direction; and a third guide surface that is arranged outside the second guide surface in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction and that is inclined so as to approach the transport path as the media advances in the transport direction and so as to approach the transport path as the media advances outward in the width direction. The third guide surface is a curved surface that protrudes in a direction away from the transport path.

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 cash register or backyard of a retail store such as a supermarket or a convenience store.

[0002] In recent years, for example, in a change dispensing system, a combination of a change dispenser that performs deposit and withdrawal processing of banknotes (also called media) and coins connected to a POS (Point Of Sales) system or the like has become widespread. Among these change dispensers, a banknote processing device (also called a media processing device) that processes banknotes has a deposit and withdrawal unit that exchanges banknotes with users such as cashiers and customers, a transport unit that transports banknotes, a discrimination unit that discriminates the denomination and authenticity of the inserted banknotes, and a storage that stores banknotes by denomination.

[0003] Regarding banknote processing devices, those having a deposit unit and a withdrawal unit in the deposit and withdrawal unit have been proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-102019 (FIG. 1, etc.)). Among these, when one or more banknotes are placed by a user in the deposit unit, the deposit unit separates the banknotes one by one and takes them in, and delivers the banknotes to the transport unit.

[0004] By the way, as a deposit unit of the above-described banknote processing device, there is one in which guide units for guiding banknotes are provided below and above the traveling path of the banknotes, respectively. In this deposit unit, with the posture of the banknote paper surface generally facing in the vertical direction, while guiding the banknote along the traveling path while guiding it by the guide unit with one long side of the banknote as the leading edge.

[0005] On the other hand, the banknotes inserted into the deposit unit by the user are not necessarily spread out flat, and have folds and bends, etc. depending on, for example, the shape of the wallet in which they were stored, and as a result, they may have various shapes. Therefore, in the banknote processing device, depending on the shape of the banknotes inserted into the deposit unit, the leading long side or apex angle of the banknotes may contact the guide unit, and at this time, when the banknotes travel along the traveling path, the banknotes may bend, causing conveyance failure, jamming, etc.

[0006] This disclosure provides a media processing device that can appropriately take in the medium being fed into it.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a media processing apparatus comprising: a first guide surface facing a transport path in the transport direction in which a sheet of paper-like media is to be transported; a second guide surface positioned on the reverse direction side opposite to the transport direction with respect to the first guide surface and inclined to approach the transport path as it moves in the transport direction; and a third guide surface positioned outside the second guide surface in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction and inclined to approach the transport path as it moves in the transport direction and also as it moves outward in the width direction, wherein the third guide surface is a curved surface that protrudes away from the transport path.

[0008] In a first aspect of this disclosure, when a medium having a tendency to fold or bend away from the transport path is fed in and pushed in the transport direction, the leading edge of the medium is brought into contact with the ridge formed at the connection between the third guide surface and the second guide surface, while avoiding contact of the apex angle of the medium with the third guide surface. As a result, in the first aspect of this disclosure, the contact point with the medium is moved outward along the ridge of the third guide surface and the ridge of the first guide surface, following the ridge, thereby bringing the medium closer to a flat shape, and eventually allowing it to be taken in without bending.

[0009] According to the above embodiment, the media processing device of the present disclosure can appropriately take in the medium being fed in.

[0010] This is a schematic perspective view showing the external configuration of a cash processing device. This is a schematic left side view showing the internal configuration of a banknote processing device. This is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the deposit section. This is a schematic left side view showing the configuration of the deposit section. This is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the deposit slot guide. This is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the deposit slot guide. This is a schematic three-view drawing showing the configuration of an intermediate deposit slot guide designed using a CAD application. This is a schematic three-view drawing showing the configuration of an intermediate deposit slot guide designed using a CAD application. This is a schematic three-view drawing showing the configuration of an intermediate deposit slot guide designed using a CAD application. This is a schematic cross-sectional drawing showing the configuration of an intermediate deposit slot guide designed using a CAD application. This is a schematic cross-sectional drawing showing the configuration of an intermediate deposit slot guide designed using a CAD application. This is a schematic cross-sectional drawing showing the configuration of an intermediate deposit slot guide designed using a CAD application. This is a schematic cross-sectional drawing showing the configuration of an intermediate deposit slot guide designed using a CAD application. This is a schematic cross-sectional drawing showing the configuration of an intermediate deposit slot guide designed using a CAD application. This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the largest and smallest banknotes. This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the largest and smallest banknotes. This is a schematic plan view showing the length and angle of each part in the deposit compartment. This is a schematic front view showing the length and angle of each part in the deposit compartment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the length and angle of each part in the deposit compartment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the length and angle of each part in the deposit compartment. This is a schematic front view showing how a folded banknote is deposited into the deposit compartment. This is a schematic plan view showing how a bent banknote is deposited into the deposit compartment. This is a schematic front view showing how a bent banknote is deposited into the deposit compartment. This is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a comparison deposit compartment. This is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a comparison deposit slot guide. This is a schematic front view showing how a folded banknote is deposited into the comparison deposit compartment. This is a schematic plan view showing how a folded banknote is deposited into the comparison deposit compartment.

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

[0012] [1. Configuration of the Cash Processing Unit] As shown schematically in Figure 1, the cash processing unit 1 according to this exemplary embodiment has a control unit 3, a banknote processing unit 5, and a coin processing unit 6 incorporated within a housing 2, and a display operation unit 8 is provided above them.

[0013] This cash processing device 1 is operated by retail store staff or customers (hereinafter also referred to as users) when customers pay for goods they wish to purchase at the checkout counter (so-called cash register) of a retail store, such as a supermarket or convenience store. In the following explanation, the side facing the user and the opposite side will be referred to as the front and rear, respectively, and the left and right and top and bottom will be defined and explained from the user's perspective.

[0014] The central control unit 3 is centered around a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) and comprehensively controls the cash processing device 1 by reading and executing various programs, such as the change dispensing program, from a change storage unit (not shown) that stores various information, and performing various processes such as deposit and withdrawal transactions.

[0015] The banknote processing unit 5 is the part that performs various processing related to banknotes, including receiving banknotes from the user, performing authentication and counting of the banknotes, and storing them separated by denomination. The coin processing unit 6 is the part that performs various processing related to coins, including receiving coins from the user, performing authentication and counting of the coins, and storing them separated by denomination.

[0016] The display operation unit 8 is configured as a touch panel, comprising a display unit, such as a liquid crystal display, and an operation unit, such as a touch sensor, which is superimposed on the liquid crystal display. The display operation unit 8 displays various information on the liquid crystal display and detects operation instructions from the user using the touch sensor, and notifies the central control unit 3.

[0017] [2. Configuration of the banknote processing device] As shown in the schematic left side view in Figure 2, the banknote processing device 5 is mostly covered on the outside by a box-shaped banknote processing device housing 10, and various mechanisms are incorporated inside.

[0018] The banknote processing device housing 10 is configured as a relatively long rectangular parallelepiped in the vertical direction, and a portion near the upper end of the front side protrudes forward, forming a front projection 10P. A protruding opening 10PH is formed in this front projection 10P by opening a portion that extends from the front to the top, exposing the deposit section 12 and the dispensing section 13, which will be described later.

[0019] Inside the enclosure 2 are a banknote control unit 11, a deposit unit 12, a dispensing unit 13, a transport unit 14, an authentication unit 15, three banknote storage compartments 16 (16A, 16B, and 16C), and a collection compartment 17, etc.

[0020] The banknote control unit 11, acting as a control unit, is the part that comprehensively controls the entire banknote processing device 5. This banknote control unit 11 is mainly composed of a CPU (not shown) and performs various processes such as deposit and withdrawal processing by reading predetermined programs from ROM (Read Only Memory) and flash memory (not shown) and executing them. The banknote control unit 11 also has a storage unit inside, consisting of RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, and flash memory, and stores various information in this storage unit.

[0021] The deposit section 12 is located on the upper side of the front projection 10P within the banknote processing device housing 10, and is the part into which one or more banknotes are inserted by the user. When banknotes are inserted by the user, the deposit section 12 separates the inserted banknotes one by one as it takes them in and hands them over to the transport section 14 at the rear (details will be described later).

[0022] The dispensing section 13 is located on the lower side of the front projection 10P within the banknote processing device housing 10, that is, below the deposit section 12. It stores banknotes that are returned as undepositable during deposit processing, and banknotes that are dispensed during dispensing processing, and allows users to receive them.

[0023] The transport unit 14 is composed of transport guides (not shown), transport rollers, transport belts, and transport motors, and transports banknotes along a transport path W formed to connect the various parts. The transport unit 14 is also provided with a number of switching units as appropriate, and the transport path of the banknotes can be changed as appropriate by switching these switching units based on the control of the banknote control unit 11.

[0024] The identification unit 15 identifies the denomination of the banknote, the degree of damage, and its authenticity, and supplies the identification results to the banknote control unit 11. In response, the banknote control unit 11 appropriately sets the transport route and destination of the banknote and appropriately controls the transport unit 14, etc.

[0025] The banknote storage compartment 16 receives banknotes transported by the transport unit 14, stores them inside, separates the stored banknotes one by one, and hands them over to the transport unit 14. The collection compartment 17 is configured to be detachable from the banknote processing device housing 10, and receives banknotes transported by the transport unit 14, stores them inside.

[0026] [3. Configuration of the deposit section] Next, the configuration of the deposit section 12 will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the deposit section 12 and its surroundings from the upper left front. Figure 4 is a schematic side view showing the deposit section 12 from the left side. For the sake of explanation, some parts in Figure 4 are omitted or simplified, or their cross-sections are shown to illustrate the internal structure and the relationships between the parts.

[0027] In this deposit section 12, a deposit transport path W12 is formed along a direction that is slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal, such that the rear side is pulled down relative to the front side, and various components are arranged on the upper and lower sides of this deposit transport path W12, respectively.

[0028] The deposit transport path W12 represents a route for transporting banknotes (BL), and it is assumed that banknotes inserted by the user at the front will be transported from the front towards the rear and downward. For this reason, below, the rear and downward direction will also be referred to as the transport direction, the opposite front and upward direction will be referred to as the reverse transport direction, and the left and right directions perpendicular to the transport direction will be referred to as the width direction. In addition, the front and upper side of the deposit transport path W12 will be referred to as the upstream side, and the rear and lower side will be referred to as the downstream side.

[0029] Incidentally, in the deposit section 12, it is assumed that banknotes, which are paper-leaf and rectangular in shape, will be inserted by the user with their long sides generally facing forward and backward, their short sides generally facing left and right, and their paper faces generally facing upward and downward. Various signs and other information are also provided to explain and warn the user. Subsequently, the deposit section 12 takes in each banknote in the correct orientation, with its short side approximately parallel to the transport direction and its long sides positioned at the beginning and end, and transports it along the deposit transport path W12.

[0030] [3-1. Configuration of Each Guide] In the deposit section 12, a deposit floor guide 21 is provided below the deposit transport path W12, and a deposit upper guide 22 and a deposit slot guide 23 are provided above the deposit transport path W12. In other words, in the deposit section 12, the space formed between the deposit floor guide 21 and the deposit upper guide 22 and deposit slot guide 23 constitutes the deposit transport path W12.

[0031] The deposit floor guide 21 has an upper surface, the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, which is generally flat, but a part of it is curved. The front part of the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S is designed to hold banknotes inserted (i.e., deposited) by the user, and faces one side of the banknote. Hereinafter, the direction in which banknotes are transported along the banknote placement surface 21SA, which is the front part of the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, that is, the direction from the front upper side to the rear lower side, will be referred to as the transport direction U.

[0032] The deposit floor guide 21 incorporates multiple rollers, optical sensors, and the like (details will be described later). The top surface 21S of the deposit floor guide is also appropriately provided with holes to expose some of the various rollers (described later) and holes to allow various detection lights to pass through.

[0033] The deposit upper guide 22 is positioned opposite the transport guide surface 21SB, which is the rear portion of the deposit floor guide 21, across the deposit transport path W12. The lower surface of the deposit upper guide 22 is generally flat, but is curved as appropriate so that it is separated from the upper surface 21S of the deposit floor guide at a nearly constant distance.

[0034] The deposit upper guide 22 incorporates multiple rollers and optical sensors, similar to the deposit floor guide 21 (details will be described later). The deposit upper guide lower surface 22S, similar to the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, is appropriately provided with holes for exposing parts of the various rollers described later, and holes for passing various detection lights. Furthermore, the front surface of the deposit upper guide 22 has a lower portion that is curved in an arc shape so as to be continuous with the deposit upper guide lower surface 22S, while the upper portion has a part that is formed as a flat surface generally aligned with the vertical direction.

[0035] The deposit slot guide 23 has a shape such that, in terms of its overall vertical length, the front side is shorter (thinner) than the rear side, meaning it is roughly wedge-shaped when viewed from the left-right direction, and is positioned in front of the deposit upper guide 22. The detailed shape of the deposit slot guide 23 will be described later.

[0036] In the following, in the deposit slot guide 23 as shown in Figure 4, the portion of the deposit floor guide 21 facing the banknote placement surface 21SA will be referred to as the deposit slot guide guide surface 23S. This deposit slot guide guide surface 23S is generally flat and planar, almost parallel to the upper surface 21S of the deposit floor guide, and its length in the front-to-back direction is about half that of the banknote placement surface 21SA.

[0037] In the following, the part of the deposit slot guide 23 that is located furthest forward will be referred to as the deposit slot guide tip 23T. Furthermore, the gap formed between the deposit slot guide tip 23T and the deposit floor guide 21, that is, the part of the deposit transport path W12 that is furthest forward (upstream), will be referred to as the inlet 12N.

[0038] The deposit slot guide 23 incorporates multiple rollers, optical components, and the like (details will be described later). The deposit slot guide surface 23S is also appropriately provided with holes to expose parts of the various rollers (described later) and holes to allow various detection lights to pass through.

[0039] Furthermore, the deposit slot guide 23 is supported by a deposit slot guide pivot shaft X23 provided within the deposit upper guide 22, so as to be able to rotate within a range of approximately 90 degrees relative to the deposit upper guide 22. Specifically, the deposit slot guide 23 can be rotated by the user's operation between a closed state, where the tip portion 23T of the deposit slot guide is positioned forward relative to the deposit slot guide pivot shaft X23, as shown in Figure 4, and an open state (not shown), where the tip portion 23T of the deposit slot guide is positioned upward relative to the deposit slot guide pivot shaft X23.

[0040] The side guides 24L and 24R (Figure 3) are provided on the left and right sides of the deposit floor guide 21, deposit upper guide 22, and deposit slot guide 23, respectively, and restrict the range of movement of banknotes in the left-right direction as they are transported within the deposit transport path W12. In other words, the side guides 24L and 24R (hereinafter collectively referred to as side guides 24) define the range of the deposit transport path W12 in the left-right direction.

[0041] [3-2. Configuration and arrangement of each roller] The deposit section 12 is provided with four types of rollers, namely a picker roller 25, a picker opposing roller 26, a feed roller 27, and a feed opposing roller 28, which are located on the lower and upper sides of the deposit conveying path W12.

[0042] The picker roller 25 is incorporated in a position inside the deposit floor guide 21 and below the deposit inlet guide 23. The picker roller 25 is formed in a columnar or disk shape with its central axis along the left-right direction, and a high-friction member with a relatively high frictional force is attached only to a part of the outer periphery.

[0043] In the deposit section 12, a plurality of picker rollers 25 are provided discretely in the left-right direction as appropriate. Each picker roller 25 is inserted through an elongated columnar or rod-shaped picker roller rotation shaft X25 along the left-right direction at its central portion. The picker roller rotation shaft X25 is supported by the deposit floor guide 21 so as to be rotatable freely, and rotates integrally with each picker roller 25. Also, only a part near the upper end of each picker roller 25 protrudes above the upper surface 21S of the deposit floor guide.

[0044] The picker opposing roller 26 is incorporated in a position inside the deposit inlet guide 23, above the picker roller 25, and at a location facing the picker roller 25. Also, in the deposit section 12, picker opposing rollers 26 are provided at discrete locations in the left-right direction facing each picker roller 25 respectively.

[0045] The picker opposing roller 26 is inserted through an elongated columnar or rod-shaped picker opposing roller rotation shaft X26 along the left-right direction at its central portion, and is configured to be rotatable freely with respect to the picker opposing roller rotation shaft X26. Also, only a part near the lower end of each picker opposing roller 26 protrudes below the guide surface 23S of the deposit inlet guide.

[0046] Furthermore, the picker opposing roller rotation shaft X26 is supported by the deposit inlet guide 23 via a spring S26 and is biased toward the picker roller 25. For this reason, in the deposit section 12, the picker opposing roller 26 is brought into contact with the picker roller 25 respectively within the deposit conveyance path W12, and when there is a banknote within the deposit conveyance path W12, the banknote can be sandwiched by the picker roller 25 and the picker opposing roller 26. Hereinafter, the location where the banknote is sandwiched by the picker roller 25 and the picker opposing roller 26 in the deposit section 12 is referred to as the picker sandwiching location Q25.

[0047] The feed roller 27 is incorporated at a position behind the pick-up roller 25 inside the deposit floor guide 21. The feed roller 27 is formed in a columnar shape with its central axis along the left-right direction. Similar to the pick-up roller 25, a high-friction member is attached only to a part of the outer periphery.

[0048] In the deposit section 12, two feed rollers 27 are provided spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each feed roller 27 is inserted through an elongated columnar or rod-shaped feed roller rotation shaft X27 along the left-right direction at its central portion. The feed roller rotation shaft X27 is supported by the deposit floor guide 21 so as to be rotatable freely, and rotates integrally with the two feed rollers 27. Also, each feed roller 27, similar to the pick-up roller 25, has only a part near the upper end protruding above the upper surface 21S of the deposit floor guide.

[0049] The feed opposing roller 28 is incorporated at a position above the feed roller 27 inside the deposit upper guide 22 and at a location facing the feed roller 27. Also, in the deposit section 12, the feed opposing rollers 28 are provided at two locations spaced apart in the left-right direction, each facing one of the two feed rollers 27.

[0050] Each feed opposing roller 28 is inserted through an elongated columnar or rod-shaped feed opposing roller rotation shaft X28 along the left-right direction at its central portion. The feed opposing roller rotation shaft X28 is supported by the deposit upper guide 22 so as to be rotatable freely, and rotates integrally with the two feed opposing rollers 28. Also, each feed opposing roller 28 has a part of it protruding downward or forward from the lower curved portion of the lower surface 22S or the front surface 22F of the deposit upper guide in the portion from near the lower end to near the front end.

[0051] Therefore, in the deposit section 12, the feed opposing roller 28 is brought into contact with or very close to the feed roller 27 within the deposit transport path W12, and when there is a banknote in the deposit transport path W12, the banknote can be gripped by the feed roller 27 and the feed opposing roller 28. Hereinafter, the location in the deposit section 12 where the banknote is gripped by the feed roller 27 and the feed opposing roller 28 will be referred to as the feed gripping location Q27.

[0052] Furthermore, the deposit section 12 is equipped with a deposit motor 29. This deposit motor 29 transmits driving force to the picker roller rotation shaft X25 and the feed roller rotation shaft X27, respectively, through a transmission mechanism (not shown) composed of multiple gears and the like.

[0053] When the deposit unit 12 transports banknotes in the transport direction using the picker roller 25, etc., it can rotate the deposit motor 29 in a predetermined forward direction based on the control of the banknote control unit 11 (Figure 2), thereby rotating the picker roller 25 and feed roller 27 in the direction of arrow R2. Also, when the deposit unit 12 transports banknotes in the reverse transport direction using the picker roller 25, etc., it can rotate the deposit motor 29 in the opposite direction to the forward direction based on the control of the banknote control unit 11 (Figure 2), thereby rotating the picker roller 25 and feed roller 27 in the direction of arrow R1.

[0054] [3-3. Configuration of each sensor] Furthermore, the deposit section 12 is provided with a deposit monitoring sensor 30 and an insertion detection sensor 40. The deposit monitoring sensor 30 consists of a light-emitting section 31 and a light-receiving section 33 provided in the deposit floor guide 21, and a prism 32 provided in the deposit slot guide 23.

[0055] The light-emitting unit 31 is located in front of the pick-up roller rotation axis X25 within the deposit floor guide 21, and slightly to the left of the center in the left-right direction, and emits detection light in a diagonal upward direction towards the rear. This detection light travels linearly from the light-emitting unit 31 in a diagonal upward direction towards the rear, passes through a through hole provided in the upper surface 21S of the deposit floor guide and a through hole provided in the deposit slot guide surface 23S, and enters the prism 32.

[0056] The prism 32 is constructed as a long, narrow rectangular parallelepiped in the left-right direction, with the upper left and right ends beveled to form reflective surfaces. When detection light enters the lower left side of the prism 32, it is reflected by the left reflective surface and propagated to the right, and then reflected again by the right reflective surface and propagated diagonally downwards and backwards.

[0057] Next, the detection light passes through the passage holes provided in the deposit slot guide surface 23S and the passage holes provided in the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S, respectively, and proceeds into the deposit floor guide 21. Hereinafter, the location of the passage holes provided in the deposit floor guide upper surface 21S will be referred to as the deposit monitoring location P30.

[0058] The light receiving unit 33 is located in front of the pick-up roller rotation axis X25 within the deposit floor guide 21, and slightly to the right of the center in the left-right direction, and receives detection light coming from the rear diagonally upward direction. The light receiving unit 33 also generates a light reception signal according to the amount of light of the received detection light and notifies the banknote control unit 11 of this as a detection result.

[0059] In response, the banknote control unit 11 determines that the detected light has been blocked at the inlet monitoring point P30 if the signal level of the received light signal is below a predetermined threshold, and recognizes that a portion of the banknote is located at the inlet monitoring point P30. Hereinafter, the state in the inlet monitoring sensor 30 where the detected light is blocked and the signal level of the received light signal is below a predetermined threshold will be expressed as "on," and conversely, the state where the detected light is not blocked will be expressed as "off." The same expression will be used for each of the other sensors.

[0060] The insertion detection sensor 40 consists of a light-emitting unit 41 located inside the deposit floor guide 21 and a light-receiving unit 42 located inside the deposit upper guide 22. The light-emitting unit 41 is positioned in front of the feed roller rotation axis X27 within the deposit floor guide 21 and, similar to the light-emitting unit 31 of the retraction monitoring sensor 30, emits detection light in a diagonally upward and rearward direction.

[0061] This detection light travels linearly from the light-emitting unit 41 diagonally upward and backward, passes through a passage hole provided in the upper surface 21S of the deposit floor guide, and then passes through the deposit transport path W12. Hereinafter, the location of the passage hole provided in the upper surface 21S of the deposit floor guide will be referred to as the insertion detection location P40.

[0062] Next, the detection light passes through the gap between the deposit slot guide surface 23S and the lower surface 22S of the deposit upper guide, passes through the passage hole provided in the front surface 22F of the deposit upper guide, and enters the light receiving unit 42 provided inside the deposit upper guide 22, where it is received. The light receiving unit 42, similar to the light receiving unit 33 of the receiving monitoring sensor 30, generates a light receiving signal corresponding to the amount of light of the received detection light and notifies the banknote control unit 11 of this as a detection result.

[0063] In response, the banknote control unit 11 determines, for example, that if the signal level of the received light signal notified from the insertion detection sensor 40 is below a predetermined threshold, that the detection light has been blocked at the insertion detection location P40, and recognizes that a portion of the banknote is located at the insertion detection location P40.

[0064] In the deposit section 12, based on the control of the banknote control unit 11, when the pull-in monitoring sensor 30 is turned on while no banknotes have been deposited and the pick-up roller 25 etc. are stationary, the system recognizes that a new banknote has been inserted into the entrance section 12N by the user and starts rotating the pick-up roller 25 etc.

[0065] [4. Basic operation of depositing banknotes] Next, the basic operation of depositing banknotes in the deposit section 12 will be explained. Here, the case where the deposit slot guide 23 is closed (Figure 4) will be explained, and the case where it is open (not shown) will be omitted.

[0066] In the banknote processing device 5, when a user attempts to deposit a relatively small number of banknotes (for example, 10 or fewer), the device is switched to a closed state by the user, and when the deposit slot guide 23 of the deposit section 12 is operated appropriately, the banknote monitoring sensor 30 begins monitoring the banknotes.

[0067] In the deposit unit 12, when a user places a relatively small stack of banknotes (BL) on the front portion of the banknote placement surface 21SA and pushes it further backward, the stack of banknotes (BL) activates the pull-in monitoring sensor 30. At this point, the deposit unit 12 starts the deposit operation based on the control of the banknote control unit 11, and the picker roller 25 and feed roller 27 begin to rotate.

[0068] As a result, the deposit unit 12 first transports the stack of banknotes BL backward (i.e., in the transport direction) using the picker roller 25 and the picker opposing roller 26, and then separates the banknotes BL one by one using the feed roller 27 and the feed opposing roller 28, transporting them diagonally downward (in the transport direction) to the transport unit 14 (Figure 2) located at the rear.

[0069] [5. Detailed Configuration of the Deposit Slot Guide] Next, the detailed shape of the deposit slot guide 23 will be described. As shown in the schematic perspective view in Figure 5 and the schematic front view in Figure 6, the deposit slot guide 23 has a shape that resembles a rectangular prism elongated in the left-right direction from which several parts have been cut off, and it also has a three-dimensional shape like a polyhedron with multiple faces connected to each other. The deposit slot guide 23 is also configured to be roughly symmetrical.

[0070] This deposit slot guide 23 is formed by combining multiple parts to create a predetermined three-dimensional shape. The main parts that make up the deposit slot guide 23 are all molded parts made of predetermined resin materials, and each is designed to have a relatively complex shape by, for example, using a predetermined 3D CAD (Computer-Aided Design) application.

[0071] [5-1. Composition of Each Surface] Specifically, the deposit slot guide 23 has surfaces such as a lower guide surface 51, an inner front lower guide surface 52, an inner front guide surface 53, a left outer lower guide surface 54L, a right outer lower guide surface 54R, a left outer front guide surface 55L, a right outer front guide surface 55R, a left side surface 56L, a right side surface 56R, and an upper side surface 57. Of these, the left outer lower guide surface 54L and the right outer lower guide surface 54R, which are configured symmetrically, are collectively referred to as the outer lower guide surface 54. Similarly, the left outer front guide surface 55L and the right outer front guide surface 55R, which are configured symmetrically, are collectively referred to as the outer front guide surface 55.

[0072] In this deposit slot guide 23, the inner front lower guide surface 52 and the inner front guide surface 53 are located in the central area of ​​approximately 40% of the left-right direction, i.e., on the inside. Also in the deposit slot guide 23, the left outer lower guide surface 54L and the left outer front guide surface 55L are located in the left area of ​​approximately 30% of the left side, i.e., on the left outer side. Furthermore, in the deposit slot guide 23, the right outer lower guide surface 54R and the right outer front guide surface 55R are located in the right area of ​​approximately 30% of the right side, i.e., on the right outer side. In other words, in the deposit slot guide 23, both the outer lower guide surface 54 and the outer front guide surface 55 are located on the outside of the left-right direction.

[0073] The lower guide surface 51, which serves as the first guide surface, becomes the deposit slot guide surface 23S (Figure 4) when attached to the deposit section 12. It is a plane parallel to the deposit transport path W12 and the transport direction U, and is inclined so that the front side is higher and the rear side is lower with respect to the horizontal direction. The lower guide surface 51 is formed in a trapezoidal shape that is longer in the left-right direction and shorter in the front-back direction. The rear side (rear edge), which corresponds to the bottom base of the trapezoid, and the front side (front edge), which corresponds to the top base of the trapezoid, are both aligned in the left-right direction (i.e., the width direction). The rear edge of the lower guide surface 51 occupies the entire length from the left end to the right end of the deposit slot guide 23, while the front edge is approximately 40% of the length of the rear edge and is located near the center in the left-right direction.

[0074] Furthermore, the lower guide surface 51 has its front edge adjacent to the inner front lower guide surface 52, while multiple elongated projections 58 protrude backward from several points on its rear edge that are dispersed in the left-right direction. The lower guide surface 51 also has its sides corresponding to the left and right hypotenuses of the trapezoid adjacent to the left outer lower guide surface 54L and the right outer lower guide surface 54R, respectively.

[0075] Furthermore, the lower guide surface 51 is appropriately provided with holes for allowing the picker opposing roller 26 to protrude into the deposit transport path W12, as well as holes for allowing the detection light of the pull-in monitoring sensor 30 to pass through, as described for the deposit slot guide surface 23S.

[0076] The inner front lower guide surface 52, which serves as the second guide surface, is a plane that is inclined approximately 30 degrees forward and upward relative to the deposit transport path W12 and the lower guide surface 51, and is formed as a hexagon that is long in the left-right direction and short in the front-back direction. The inner front lower guide surface 52 has its rear edge adjacent to the lower guide surface 51 and its front edge adjacent to the inner front guide surface 53. Furthermore, the inner front lower guide surface 52 has its two left edges adjacent to the left outer lower guide surface 54L and the left outer front guide surface 55L, respectively, and its two right edges adjacent to the right outer lower guide surface 54R and the right outer front guide surface 55R, respectively.

[0077] The inner front guide surface 53 differs from the deposit transport path W12, the lower guide surface 51, and the inner front lower guide surface 52 in that it is generally a vertical plane and is formed as a rectangle that is long in the left-right direction and short in the up-down direction. The inner front guide surface 53 has its lower edge adjacent to the inner front lower guide surface 52 and its upper edge adjacent to the upper side surface 57. Furthermore, the inner front guide surface 53 has its left edge adjacent to the left outer front guide surface 55L and its right edge adjacent to the right outer front guide surface 55R.

[0078] The left outer lower guide surface 54L, which serves as the third guide surface, is a curved surface that curves upward, and is formed as an irregular rectangular shape overall. The left outer lower guide surface 54L has its left (outer) edge adjacent to the left side surface 56L, its rear or lower edge adjacent to the lower guide surface 51, its right (inner) edge adjacent to the inner front lower guide surface 52, and its front or upper edge adjacent to the left outer front guide surface 55L. Details of the curved shape of the left outer lower guide surface 54L will be described later.

[0079] Furthermore, the right outer lower guide surface 54R is configured symmetrically with the left outer lower guide surface 54L, with each side adjacent to the right side surface 56R, the lower guide surface 51, the inner front lower guide surface 52, and the right outer front guide surface 55R, respectively.

[0080] The left outer front guide surface 55L, which serves as the fourth guide surface, is a plane that is rotated approximately 10 to 20 degrees to the right in the horizontal plane from the inner front guide surface 53 and inclined to displace towards the rear as it moves outward, forming an overall pentagonal shape that is long in the left-right direction. The right (inner) edge of this left outer front guide surface 55L is adjacent to the inner front guide surface 53, the upper edge is adjacent to the upper side surface 57, and the left (outer) edge is adjacent to the left side surface 56L. In addition, the right (inner) edge of the lower edge of the left outer front guide surface 55L is adjacent to the inner front lower guide surface 52, and the central or left (outer) edge is adjacent to the left outer lower guide surface 54L.

[0081] Furthermore, the right outer front guide surface 55R is configured symmetrically with the left outer front guide surface 55L, with each side adjacent to the inner front guide surface 53, the upper side surface 57, the right side surface 56R, the inner front lower guide surface 52, and the right outer lower guide surface 54R, respectively.

[0082] The left side surface 56L is a vertical plane with its normal vector directed to the left, and as a whole, it has a shape that combines a triangle and an elongated rectangle, and is adjacent to the upper side surface 57, the left outer front guide surface 55L, and the left outer lower guide surface 54L, respectively. The right side surface 56R is configured symmetrically with the left side surface 56L, and is adjacent to the upper side surface 57, the right outer front guide surface 55R, and the right outer lower guide surface 54R, respectively.

[0083] As shown in Figure 3, the upper surface 57 is mainly composed of a plane that is inclined so that the rear side is higher than the front side, and is formed as a hexagonal shape that is long in the left-right direction and short in the front-back direction. This upper surface 57 is adjacent to the inner front guide surface 53, the left outer front guide surface 55L and the right outer front guide surface 55R, and the left side surface 56L and the right side surface 56R, respectively.

[0084] For the sake of explanation, the ridge formed at the point where the left outer lower guide surface 54L and the lower guide surface 51 are connected, and the ridge formed at the point where the right outer lower guide surface 54R and the lower guide surface 51 are connected will be referred to as the first ridge RD1 below. Furthermore, the ridge formed at the point where the left outer lower guide surface 54L and the inner front lower guide surface 52 are connected, and the ridge formed at the point where the right outer lower guide surface 54R and the inner front lower guide surface 52 are connected will be referred to as the second ridge RD2 below.

[0085] Furthermore, in the following, the ridge formed at the point where the left outer front guide surface 55L and the inner front lower guide surface 52 are connected, and the ridge formed at the point where the right outer front guide surface 55R and the inner front lower guide surface 52 are connected will be referred to as the third ridge RD3. Also, in the following, the ridge formed at the point where the left outer front guide surface 55L and the inner front guide surface 53 are connected, and the ridge formed at the point where the right outer front guide surface 55R and the inner front guide surface 53 are connected will be referred to as the fourth ridge RD4.

[0086] In addition, on the left and right sides, the ridges formed by connecting the third ridge RD3, the second ridge RD2, and the first ridge RD1 are called continuous ridges RS. When this continuous ridge RS progresses from the innermost endpoint to the outermost endpoint, it moves outward and backward, and in the portions of the third ridge RD3 and the second ridge RD2, it moves in a direction that approaches the deposit floor guide 21.

[0087] [5-2. Configuration of the Outer Lower Guide Surface] Next, the detailed shape of the outer lower guide surface 54 (left outer lower guide surface 54L and right outer lower guide surface 54R) will be described. Here, as shown in Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C, the intermediate deposit slot guide H23, which is an intermediate stage in the design of the deposit slot guide 23 using a CAD application, will be used to describe its shape, etc. Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C show the top view, left side view, and front view, respectively, of the intermediate deposit slot guide H23.

[0088] This intermediate deposit slot guide H23 is formed during its creation process by, for example, using a rectangular prism that is long in the left-right direction and short in the front-back and up-down directions as a base, and then performing processing such as cutting off a part of it or deforming some of its surfaces.

[0089] The intermediate deposit slot guide H23 has a lower guide surface H51, an inner front guide surface H53, an inner front guide surface H54L, and an outer lower guide surface H54R, which correspond to the lower guide surface 51, inner front guide surface 53, left outer lower guide surface 54L, and right outer lower guide surface 54R of the deposit slot guide 23 (Figure 6, etc.). The intermediate deposit slot guide H23 also has a left side surface H56L, a right side surface H56R, and an upper side surface H57, which correspond to the left side surface 56L, a right side surface 56R, and an upper side surface 57 of the deposit slot guide 23.

[0090] Incidentally, the intermediate deposit slot guide H23 does not yet have surfaces that correspond to the inner front lower guide surface 52, the left outer front guide surface 55L, and the right outer front guide surface 55R of the deposit slot guide 23 (Figure 6, etc.). These surfaces will be formed in a later process on the intermediate deposit slot guide H23. Also, the left outer lower guide surface H54L and the right outer lower guide surface H54R are formed symmetrically on the left and right sides of the intermediate deposit slot guide H23.

[0091] In this intermediate deposit slot guide H23, the lower guide surface H51, the inner front guide surface H53, the left side surface H56L, the right side surface H56R, and the upper side surface H57 are all flat, while the left outer lower guide surface H54L and the right outer lower guide surface H54R are formed as curved surfaces.

[0092] Next, the shape of the left outer lower guide surface H54L will be described. First, the ridge formed at the connection point between the left outer lower guide surface H54L and the left side surface H56L is called the outer ridge RT because it is located at the outer end of the left outer lower guide surface H54L. Also, the ridge formed at the connection point between the left outer lower guide surface H54L and the inner front guide surface H53 is called the inner ridge RN because it is located at the inner end of the left outer lower guide surface H54L.

[0093] Furthermore, in the front view of Figure 7C, six hypothetical planes parallel to the left side surface H56L are set, and the cross-sectional shapes at each of these planes are shown in Figures 8A to 8F. Specifically, Figure 8A is the A1-A2 cross-section passing through the leftmost (outermost) outer ridge line RT on the left outer lower guide surface H54L, and it matches the shape when the left side surface H56L is viewed from the left. Figure 8F is the F1-F2 cross-section passing through the rightmost (innermost) inner ridge line RN. Also, Figures 8B, 8C, 8D, and 8E correspond to the cross-sections obtained when the space between the outer ridge line RT and the inner ridge line RN is divided into five equal parts, and are the B1-B2, C1-C2, D1-D2, and E1-E2 cross-sections in Figure 7C, respectively.

[0094] Furthermore, for the sake of explanation, the ridge that is the upper edge of the left outer lower guide surface H54L and corresponds to the left front hypotenuse on the upper surface H57 will be called the upper ridge RU. Also, the ridge that is the lower edge of the left outer lower guide surface H54L and corresponds to the left front hypotenuse on the lower guide surface H51 will be called the lower ridge RL.

[0095] Thus, the left outer lower guide surface H54L is enclosed by four straight lines: the outer ridge RT on the outside (left side), the inner ridge RN on the inside (right side), the upper ridge RU on the top side, and the lower ridge RL on the bottom side.

[0096] The inner ridge line RN is a vertical straight line and is located at the foremost end of the intermediate deposit guide H23. The outer ridge line RT is an inclined straight line, formed by slightly displacing the upper side of a straight line parallel to the inner ridge line RN in the rearward direction and significantly displacing the lower side in the rearward direction. In other words, the outer ridge line RT is neither parallel to nor intersects the inner ridge line RN; it is in a twisted relationship.

[0097] The upper ridge line RU is a sloping straight line that moves upward and backward as it moves from the center to the left (outside). The lower ridge line RL is a sloping straight line that moves downward and backward as it moves from the center to the left (outside). In other words, the upper ridge line RU is not parallel to the lower ridge line RL, nor does it intersect with it; they are in a twisted relationship.

[0098] Furthermore, PLN, the rightmost (inner) endpoint of the lower ridge RL, is located directly below PUN, the rightmost (inner) endpoint of the upper ridge RU. On the other hand, PLT, the leftmost (outer) endpoint of the lower ridge RL, is located posteriorly and below PUT, the leftmost (outer) endpoint of the upper ridge RU.

[0099] In other words, in the intermediate deposit slot guide H23, as shown in Figure 7A, the inclination angle of the lower ridge RL is greater than the inclination angle of the upper ridge RU when viewed from directly above, in the left-right direction (width direction).

[0100] Here, the straight lines connecting the upper ridge line RU and the lower ridge line RL in each cross-section (Figures 8A to 8F) obtained by cutting the left outer lower guide surface H54L with planes parallel to the left side surface H56L are defined as connecting lines CN (CN1, CN2, CN3, CN4, CN5, and CN6). These connecting lines CN represent the ridge lines formed by each cross-section and the left outer lower guide surface H45L. Incidentally, as shown in Figure 8A, connecting line CN1 coincides with the outer ridge line RT. Also, as shown in Figure 8F, connecting line CN6 coincides with the inner ridge line RN. Furthermore, in Figures 8B to 8F, the position when the outer ridge line RT is projected to the right is shown by dashed lines.

[0101] As a result, on the left outer lower guide surface H54L, as you proceed from the left side (outside) towards the center, the intersection points of each connecting line CN and the upper ridge line RU gradually move forward and downward along the upper ridge line RU, from the outer endpoint PUT of the upper ridge line to the inner endpoint PUN of the upper ridge line. Also on the left outer lower guide surface H54L, as you proceed from the left side (outside) towards the center, the intersection points of each connecting line CN and the lower ridge line RL gradually move forward and upward along the lower ridge line RL, from the outer endpoint PLT of the lower ridge line to the inner endpoint PLN of the lower ridge line. Furthermore, on the left outer lower guide surface H54L, as you proceed from the left side (outside) towards the center, the connection angles θ (θ1, θ2, θ3, θ4, θ5 and θ6), which are the angles between the lower guide surface H51 and each connecting line CN, gradually increase.

[0102] In other words, the left outer lower guide surface H54L is a curved surface that twists as it moves from the right side (inside) to the left side (outside), with the angle of inclination relative to the lower guide surface H51 gradually decreasing and the surface gradually displacing in the rearward direction.

[0103] Furthermore, since the right outer lower guide surface H54R is symmetrical to the left outer lower guide surface H54L, the angle of inclination with respect to the lower guide surface H51 gradually decreases as you move from the left side (inside) to the right side (outside), and the surface is curved in a twisting manner, gradually displacing in the rearward direction.

[0104] Incidentally, when the deposit slot guide 23 (Figure 5) is designed from the state of the intermediate deposit slot guide H23 (Figures 7A to 7C), the inner front lower guide surface 52 and the outer front guide surface 55 (left outer front guide surface 55L and right outer front guide surface 55R) are formed by cutting off a portion of the intermediate deposit slot guide H23.

[0105] Specifically, the area near the connection point between the lower guide surface H51 and the inner front guide surface H53 of the intermediate deposit slot guide H23 is trimmed to form the inner front lower guide surface 52, and at this time the lower portion of the inner ridge line RN is also trimmed. In addition, the area near the upper ridge line RU, which is the connection point between the left outer lower guide surface H54L and the upper side surface H57 of the intermediate deposit slot guide H23, is trimmed to form the left outer front guide surface 55L, and at this time the upper portion of the inner ridge line RN is also trimmed. As a result, the ridges formed adjacent to the newly formed left outer lower guide surface 54L and left outer front guide surface 55L are curved due to the curvature of the left outer lower guide surface 54L. The right outer front guide surface 55R is formed symmetrically with the left outer front guide surface 55L.

[0106] [5-3. Lengths and angles of each part] Next, the lengths of each side of a banknote that can be handled by the banknote processing device 5 will be explained, as well as the lengths and angles of each part when the deposit slot guide 23 is attached to the deposit section 12.

[0107] In the banknote processing device 5, the size of banknotes that can be handled is predetermined. Specifically, in the banknote processing device 5, as shown in Figure 9A, the longest side of the largest banknote that can be handled, the largest banknote BLL, is the longest banknote longest side length LL1, and its shortest side is the largest banknote shortest side length LL2. Also, in the banknote processing device 5, as shown in Figure 9B, the longest side of the smallest banknote that can be handled, the smallest banknote BLS, is the longest banknote longest side length LS1, and its shortest side is the smallest banknote shortest side length LS2. As is clear from Figures 9A and 9B, the longest banknote longest side length LL1 is larger (longer) than the smallest banknote longest side length LS1. For the sake of explanation, the largest banknote BLL will also be referred to as the largest medium, and the smallest banknote BLS will also be referred to as the smallest medium.

[0108] Furthermore, in the deposit section 12, as shown in the schematic plan view in Figure 10 and the schematic front view in Figure 11, the lengths and angles of each part are appropriately set according to the maximum long side length LL1 of the largest banknote BLL and the minimum long side length LS1 of the smallest banknote BLS.

[0109] Specifically, in the deposit section 12, the distance between the side guides 24L and 24R, i.e., the length LG1 in the left-right direction (width direction) of the deposit transport path W12, is slightly larger (longer) than the maximum banknote length LL1. This allows the deposit section 12 to smoothly transport and deposit all banknotes that can be handled, with their long sides aligned in the left-right direction.

[0110] Furthermore, in the deposit section 12, the length LG2 from one side guide 24 across the center line XC1 to the fourth ridge line RD4 of the deposit slot guide 23 on the opposite side is smaller (shorter) than the length of the long side LS1 of the smallest banknote. Therefore, in the deposit section 12, when the smallest banknote BLS is deposited, if one of the short sides of the smallest banknote BLS is placed in a position where it abuts against one side guide 24, the other short side of the smallest banknote BLS can be positioned further away from the fourth ridge line RD4.

[0111] As a result, when a banknote with a long side length equal to or greater than the minimum banknote long side length LS1 is inserted into the deposit section 12, the portions near the leading corners on both the left and right sides of the banknote can be positioned below the outer front guide surface 55 or the outer lower guide surface 54, rather than below the inner front guide surface 53 (Figure 5, etc.).

[0112] Furthermore, in the deposit section 12, as shown in Figure 10, when the deposit slot guide 23 is viewed from above, the angle α of the outer front guide surface 55 with respect to the inner front guide surface 53 is inclined by a predetermined angle (for example, 10 to 20 degrees).

[0113] Furthermore, in the deposit section 12, the cross-sectional shape of the deposit slot guide 23 differs depending on the position in the left-right direction, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, respectively, for the G1-G2 and H1-H2 cross-sections in Figure 11. Accordingly, in the deposit section 12, the shape of the transport space formed between the deposit slot guide 23 and the deposit floor guide 21 also differs depending on the position in the left-right direction.

[0114] Of these, Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view at the center in the left-right direction (i.e., at the position of the center line XC1). In the deposit section 12, with respect to the transport direction U, the length LG3 from the lower end of the inner front guide surface 53 to the picker gripping point Q25 is greater (longer) than half of the short side length LS2 of the smallest banknote (Figure 9B).

[0115] As a result, if there is any abnormality in the deposited banknotes in the deposit section 12, the banknotes are transported in the reverse direction along the deposit transport path W12 and stop in front of the Piccara Roller 25. At this time, the deposit section 12 can position approximately half of the front portion of the banknote in question in front of the deposit slot guide 23, so that the presence of the banknote can be clearly seen by a user looking from above.

[0116] Furthermore, in the deposit section 12, the length LG5, which is the distance from the deposit floor guide 21 to the lower end of the inner front guide surface 53, is significantly larger than the length LG4, which is the distance from the deposit floor guide 21 to the lower guide surface 51 of the deposit slot guide 23. Incidentally, the length LG5 is significantly larger than the thickness of the maximum number of banknotes that can be deposited (for example, 10) when the deposit slot guide 23 is closed. In addition, in the deposit section 12, if a virtual line X51, which is an extension of the lower guide surface 51, is set, the angle β, which is the inclination angle of the inner front lower guide surface 52 with respect to the virtual line X51, is approximately 30 degrees.

[0117] As a result, the deposit section 12 can significantly reduce the possibility of the central part of the deposited banknote colliding with the inner front guide surface 53, and the banknote can be smoothly advanced along the deposit transport path W12 while gradually bringing the central part of the leading edge of the banknote closer to the deposit floor guide 21 along the inner front lower guide surface 52.

[0118] On the other hand, Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view at a position corresponding to the left end of the deposit transport path W12. In the deposit section 12, the length LG6, which is the distance from the deposit floor guide 21 to the lower end of the left outer front guide surface 55L, is greater than the lengths LG4 and LG5 (Figure 12) described above. Also in the deposit section 12, at the left end portion of the left outer lower guide surface 54L, the angle γ, which is the inclination angle with respect to the imaginary line X51, which is a virtual extension of the lower guide surface 51, is approximately 30 degrees. Furthermore, in the deposit section 12, at the left end portion of the left outer lower guide surface 54L, the point where the lower end of the left outer lower guide surface 54L connects to the lower guide surface 51 (shown as point P54LT in the figure) is located upstream of the feed clamping point Q27 where the banknotes are clamped by the feed roller 27 and the feed opposing roller 28.

[0119] [5-4. Guiding banknotes by deposit slot guide] Next, we will explain how banknotes are guided by the deposit slot guide 23 in the deposit section 12.

[0120] First, let's consider the case where a folded banknote BL1, which has a crease formed near the center along its long side, is deposited with the crease facing downwards, as shown by the solid line in Figure 14, which corresponds to Figure 11. In other words, when viewed from the front-upward direction along the transport direction U, the folded banknote BL1 is not flat along the left-right direction, but a part of it is raised above the imaginary line X51 (Figure 12), which is a virtual extension of the lower guide surface 51.

[0121] Furthermore, in the folded banknote BL1, the leftmost vertex of the front edge is furthest from the deposit floor guide 21 on the left side of the fold near the center. Similarly, in the folded banknote BL1, the rightmost vertex of the front edge is furthest from the deposit floor guide 21 on the right side of the fold near the center.

[0122] First, in the deposit section 12, when the folded banknote BL1 is placed on the banknote placement surface 21SA (Figure 4) of the deposit floor guide 21, the central part of the folded banknote BL1 is in contact with the deposit floor guide 21, and as it moves towards both ends, it is inclined to move away from the deposit floor guide 21.

[0123] In the deposit section 12, when a folded banknote BL1 is pushed backward on the banknote placement surface 21SA by the user, a portion of the front edge of the folded banknote BL1 comes into contact with the third ridge RD3 or the second ridge RD2, which are part of the continuous ridge RS in the deposit slot guide 23, before the left and right ends (i.e., the vertex).

[0124] Next, in the deposit section 12, as the user pushes the folded banknote BL1 backward, the contact point between the folded banknote BL1 and the deposit slot guide 23 is displaced diagonally downward and outward along the third ridge RD3 and the second ridge RD2 of the continuous ridge RS, and eventually displaced diagonally outward along the first ridge RD1. At the same time, in the deposit section 12, the contact point between the leading end of the folded banknote BL1 and the deposit slot guide 23 is gradually moved outward, gradually shortening the distance from the deposit floor guide 21 to each end, and flattening the folded banknote BL1 as it goes.

[0125] Subsequently, in the deposit section 12, as the user pushes the folded banknote BL1 further backward, the left and right vertices at the leading edge of the folded banknote BL1 come into contact with the first ridge line RD1 of the deposit slot guide 23, and then, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 14, it enters below the lower guide surface 51 and comes into contact with the lower guide surface 51. Eventually, in the deposit section 12, when the folded banknote BL1 turns on the pull-in monitoring sensor 30 (Figure 4), the deposit operation starts based on the control of the banknote control unit 11, and the folded banknote BL1 is taken in.

[0126] In other words, in the deposit section 12, when a folded banknote BL1 is inserted and pushed in the rearward direction, the leading edge of the folded banknote BL1 comes into contact with the continuous ridge RS of the deposit slot guide 23, causing the leading edge of the folded banknote BL1 to slide against the continuous ridge RS. At this time, the deposit section 12 can displace the contact point with the folded banknote BL1 on the continuous ridge RS side in a direction that is diagonally outward and closer to the deposit floor guide 21 in the part corresponding to the third ridge RD3 or the second ridge RD2, and thereafter in the part corresponding to the first ridge RD1, it can be displaced diagonally outward and rearward.

[0127] Next, as shown in Figure 15, which corresponds to Figure 10, we consider the case where a bent banknote BL2, which has a bend that causes one vertex to lift, is deposited with the bent portion facing the front and the vicinity of the bent vertex facing upward. Here, we assume that in the bent banknote BL2, the portion near the right end of the long side on the front side (i.e., the vicinity of the vertex on the right rear side) is bent so that it is lifted higher than the other parts.

[0128] In other words, as shown in Figure 16, which corresponds to Figure 11, the bent banknote BL2 is generally flat in the left-right direction when viewed from the front-upward direction along the transport direction U, but a portion near the right apex angle at the leading edge is raised above the imaginary line X51 (Figure 12), which is a virtual extension of the lower guide surface 51. Also, the right apex angle at the front edge of the bent banknote BL2 is the point furthest from the deposit floor guide 21.

[0129] In the deposit section 12, when a bent banknote BL2 is placed on the banknote placement surface 21SA (Figure 4) of the deposit floor guide 21 and pushed in the rearward direction, a portion of the front edge of the bent banknote BL2 comes into contact with the third ridge line RD3 or the second ridge line RD2, which are part of the continuous ridge line RS of the deposit slot guide 23, before the right edge.

[0130] Next, in the deposit section 12, as the user pushes the bent banknote BL2 backward, the contact point between the bent banknote BL2 and the deposit slot guide 23 is displaced diagonally downward and backward to the right along the third ridge RD3 and the second ridge RD2 of the continuous ridge RS, and eventually displaced diagonally backward to the right along the first ridge RD1. At the same time, in the deposit section 12, the contact point between the bent banknote BL2 and the deposit slot guide 23 at the front end is gradually moved to the right, gradually shortening the distance from the deposit floor guide 21 to the right end, and bringing the bent banknote BL2 closer to a flat state.

[0131] Subsequently, in the deposit section 12, as the user pushes the bent banknote BL2 further backward, the right end of the leading edge of the bent banknote BL2 comes into contact with the first ridge RD1 of the deposit slot guide 23, and then enters below the lower guide surface 51 and comes into contact with the lower guide surface 51. Eventually, when the bent banknote BL2 turns on the pull-in monitoring sensor 30 (Figure 4) in the deposit section 12, the deposit operation starts based on the control of the banknote control unit 11, and the bent banknote BL2 is taken in.

[0132] In other words, in the deposit section 12, when a bent banknote BL2 is inserted and pushed in the rearward direction, the raised portion at the leading end of the bent banknote BL2 comes into contact with the continuous ridge line RS of the deposit slot guide 23, causing the leading edge of the bent banknote BL2 to slide against the continuous ridge line RS. At this time, the deposit section 12 can displace the contact point with the bent banknote BL2 on the continuous ridge line RS side in a direction that is diagonally outward and closer to the deposit floor guide 21 in the portion corresponding to the third ridge line RD3 or the second ridge line RD2, and thereafter in the portion corresponding to the first ridge line RD1, it can be displaced diagonally outward and rearward.

[0133] [6. Effects, etc.] Next, in order to compare with this exemplary embodiment, we will consider a comparative banknote processing device 105 as shown in Figure 17, which corresponds to Figure 3. This comparative banknote processing device 105 is provided with a comparative deposit unit 112, which corresponds to the deposit unit 12 in this exemplary embodiment.

[0134] This comparative deposit section 112 differs from the deposit section 12 in this exemplary embodiment in that it has a comparative deposit guide 123 instead of a deposit guide 23, but is otherwise configured similarly.

[0135] As shown in Figure 18, which corresponds to Figure 5, the comparative deposit slot guide 123 does not have surfaces corresponding to the inner front guide surface 53, outer lower guide surface 54, and outer front guide surface 55, compared to the deposit slot guide 23 according to this exemplary embodiment (Figure 5, etc.). Accordingly, in the comparative deposit slot guide 123, the comparative front lower guide surface 152 and comparative inner front guide surface 153, which replace the inner front lower guide surface 52 and inner front guide surface 53, are rectangular in shape and extend to near the left end and near the right end, respectively. Also, in the comparative deposit slot guide 123, the comparative lower guide surface 151 and comparative upper side surface 157, which replace the lower guide surface 51 and upper side surface 57, are both rectangular in shape with a long side extending from near the left end to near the right end.

[0136] The comparative deposit slot guide 123 has a comparative first ridge line RD11 formed in the portion where the comparative lower guide surface 151 and the comparative front lower guide surface 152 are adjacent, and this ridge line is a straight line along the left-right direction (width direction) from the left end to the right end.

[0137] In the comparison deposit section 112, as shown in Figure 19 which corresponds to Figure 14, when a folded banknote BL1 is deposited, the leading edge of the folded banknote BL1 comes into contact with the first comparison ridge RD11. However, in the comparison deposit section 112, the first comparison ridge RD11 is aligned in the left-right direction and does not have a shape that slopes backward or downward as it moves outward. Therefore, in the comparison deposit section 112, when the folded banknote BL1 is pushed backward, the point of contact between the folded banknote BL1 and the first comparison ridge RD11 hardly moves, and the folded banknote BL1 is curved by folding back near the left or right leading edge.

[0138] As a result, the comparison deposit section 112 will take in the folded banknote BL1 with the leading edge folded, as shown in Figure 20. This could cause jams during transport by the transport section 14 (Figure 2) or prevent proper identification during the identification process by the identification section 15. Similarly, the comparison deposit section 112 may also take in the folded banknote BL2 (Figure 15) with the leading edge folded.

[0139] In contrast, in the banknote processing device 5 of the cash processing device 1 according to this exemplary embodiment, in addition to the lower guide surface 51, inner front lower guide surface 52, and inner front guide surface 53, an outer lower guide surface 54 and an outer front guide surface 55 are formed on the deposit slot guide 23 of the deposit section 12, which are inclined to advance towards the rear or upward as they move outward in the left-right direction (Figure 5, etc.).

[0140] Therefore, when a folded banknote BL1 is inserted (Figure 14), the deposit section 12 brings the leading edge of the folded banknote BL1 into contact with the third ridge RD3 or the second ridge RD2 of the deposit slot guide 23, that is, a relatively inner portion of the continuous ridge RS. Subsequently, as the folded banknote BL1 is pushed in the rearward direction, the deposit section 12 brings the leading edge of the folded banknote BL1 into contact with the continuous ridge RS of the deposit slot guide 23, and displaces the contact point outward along the continuous ridge RS, that is, diagonally outward and closer to the deposit floor guide 21. As a result, the deposit slot guide 23 can bring the apex angle, which is the end of the folded banknote BL1 furthest from the deposit floor guide 21, closer to the deposit floor guide 21 without it coming into contact with the outer lower guide surface 54 and the outer front guide surface 55. Eventually, when the end of the folded banknote BL1 comes into contact with the continuous ridge line RS of the deposit slot guide 23, the deposit section 12 positions the end below the lower guide surface 51 and moves it into the deposit transport path W12.

[0141] As a result, the banknote processing device 5 can flatten the folded banknote BL1 by the deposit slot guide 23 as it is pushed backward in the deposit section 12, enabling it to properly process banknotes without causing jams or other problems.

[0142] In particular, the deposit slot guide 23 has an outer lower guide surface 54 that is curved in a twisting manner, such that the angle of inclination with respect to the lower guide surface 51 gradually decreases and the surface gradually displaces backward as it moves from the inside to the outside (Figures 7A to 7C and 8A to 8F). As a result, the banknote processing device 5 can bring the leading edge of the folded banknote BL1 into contact with the first ridge line RD1 in the deposit section 12 without the leading edge of the folded banknote BL1 coming into contact with the outer lower guide surface 54.

[0143] Furthermore, with regard to the bent banknote BL2 (Figures 15 and 16), the banknote processing device 5, in the same way as the folded banknote BL1, can flatten the bent banknote BL2 with the deposit slot guide 23 as it is pushed in the rearward direction, allowing for proper deposit processing without causing banknote jams or other problems.

[0144] From another perspective, in the deposit section 12 of the banknote processing device 5, banknotes that are displaced backward on the deposit floor guide 21 may have a portion that is slightly separated from the deposit floor guide 21 due to deformation or bending. However, even with such banknotes, the deposit section 12 needs to keep the banknote sufficiently close to the deposit floor guide 21 before the leading edge of the banknote reaches the feed clamping point Q27 (Figure 4), and guide it below the lower guide surface 51 of the deposit slot guide 23 to allow it to move smoothly through the deposit transport path W12.

[0145] Therefore, one possible strategy for the deposit slot guide 23 is to form inclined surfaces with a relatively small angle of inclination relative to the deposit floor guide 21 in at least a portion of the left-right direction, thereby guiding banknotes to gradually approach the deposit floor guide 21 without getting caught. Based on this strategy, the deposit slot guide 23 has an inclination angle of approximately 30 degrees relative to the deposit floor guide 21 at the inner front lower guide surface 52 located near the center in the left-right direction, and near the outer end of the outer lower guide surface 54 (Figures 12 and 13, etc.).

[0146] On the other hand, in the deposit section 12, when a banknote is deposited, it is thought that the user grasps the banknote near the center, places it on the deposit floor guide 21, and then pushes it in backward. Therefore, when a banknote is placed on the deposit floor guide 21 of the deposit section 12, the ends are likely to be further away from the deposit floor guide 21 than the center in the left-right direction, meaning they are likely to be in a lifted position. Also, in the deposit section 12, when the folded banknote BL1 first comes into contact with the deposit slot guide 23, the folded banknote BL1 is in a relatively tilted position relative to the deposit floor guide 21 (Figure 14).

[0147] Therefore, in the deposit section 12, in the left-right direction, there is a risk that the area near the apex of the leading edge of the folded banknote BL1 may come into contact with the outer lower guide surface 54 of the deposit slot guide 23, causing it to get caught and further fold the portion near that end. To address this, the deposit slot guide 23 has a relatively large inclination angle relative to the deposit floor guide 21 in the area near the inner part of the outer lower guide surface 54, i.e., greater than 30 degrees, in order to prevent the folded banknote BL1 from coming into contact with the outer lower guide surface 54.

[0148] On the other hand, in the deposit section 12, as the folded banknote BL1 is pushed further in after coming into contact with the deposit slot guide 23, the point of contact with the deposit slot guide 23 is displaced outward as the folded banknote BL1 approaches the deposit floor guide 21, causing the inclination angle to gradually decrease. Therefore, even if the inclination angle of the outer part of the outer lower guide surface 54 of the deposit slot guide 23 is set to a relatively small 30 degrees relative to the deposit floor guide 21, it is possible to avoid contact between the folded banknote BL1 and the outer lower guide surface 54 while bringing the folded banknote BL1 closer to the deposit floor guide 21 and flattening it.

[0149] In this way, the deposit section 12 of the banknote processing device 5 is equipped with an outer lower guide surface 54 on the deposit slot guide 23, which significantly reduces the risk of banknotes with various folds or bends getting caught or further folded, allowing for smooth deposit.

[0150] With the above configuration, the banknote processing device 5 of the cash processing device 1 has an outer lower guide surface 54 on the deposit slot guide 23 of the deposit section 12 that is inclined to move towards the rear or upward as it moves outward in the left-right direction, and a continuous ridge line RS is formed at the connection point with other adjacent surfaces.Therefore, when a banknote with creases or bends is pushed in the rearward direction, the banknote processing device 5 brings the leading edge of the banknote into contact with the third ridge line RD3 or the second ridge line RD2 of the continuous ridge line RS of the deposit slot guide 23, and displaces the contact point outward along the continuous ridge line RS.As a result, the banknote processing device 5 can properly process banknotes without causing jams, etc., by stretching the banknote flat and bringing it close to the deposit floor guide 21 without contacting the outer lower guide surface 54, and eventually bringing it into contact with the lower guide surface 51.

[0151] [7. Other Exemplary Embodiments] In the exemplary embodiments described above, the outer lower guide surfaces 54 (left outer lower guide surface 54L and right outer lower guide surface 54R) are curved surfaces that protrude upward, such that the angle of inclination with respect to the transport direction continuously decreases from the inside to the outside (Figures 5 to 8F, etc.). However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and various other curved surfaces are also acceptable, such as a curved surface made by connecting a plurality of relatively small planes with slightly different angles of inclination in a mesh-like manner. The point is that when folded banknotes BL1 (Figure 14) and bent banknotes BL2 (Figure 15), etc. are pushed in the rearward direction in the deposit section 12, it is sufficient if the leading edge can contact and slide against the continuous ridge line RS without the leading apex angle contacting the outer lower guide surface 54.

[0152] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiments described above, a planar inner front lower guide surface 52 is formed on the deposit slot guide 23 (Figures 5 and 6), and a configuration in which the inner front lower guide surface 52 is inclined at approximately 30 degrees relative to the lower guide surface 51 (Figure 12) was described. However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, the inner front lower guide surface 52 may be a curved surface, and the inclination angle of the inner front lower guide surface 52 with respect to the lower guide surface 51 may be various angles. Alternatively, for example, the inner front lower guide surface 52 may be omitted, and the lower guide surface 51 and the inner front guide surface 53 may be placed adjacent to each other.

[0153] Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments described above describe a configuration in which a planar outer front guide surface 55 (left outer front guide surface 55L and right outer front guide surface 55R) is formed on the deposit slot guide 23 (Figures 5 and 6). However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, the outer front guide surface 55 may be curved, or the outer front guide surface 55 may be omitted, and the outer lower guide surface 54 and the upper side surface 57 may be adjacent to each other.

[0154] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiments described above, the inner front guide surface 53 of the deposit slot guide 23 (Figures 5 and 6) is described as being flat and planar. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and various shapes are possible, such as the inner front guide surface 53 being curved.

[0155] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiments described above, a configuration was described in which the first ridge line RD1 of the deposit slot guide 23 (Figures 5 and 6) is a straight line that progresses diagonally outward from the inside to the outside. Also, a configuration was described in which the second ridge line RD2 and the third ridge line RD3 are inclined so as they progress diagonally outward from the inside to the outside and approach the deposit transport path W12. Furthermore, a configuration was described in which the second ridge line RD2 is a straight line and the third ridge line RD3 is a curve. However, this disclosure is not limited to these, and each ridge line may be made into various shapes, such as a bent line or a curved shape. The point is that the leading edge of the banknote being deposited should be able to slide smoothly without the leading edge of the banknote coming into contact with the outer lower guide surface 54 and the outer front guide surface 55.

[0156] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiments described above, the deposit slot guide 23 (Figures 5 and 6) is shaped to directly connect the lower guide surface 51 and the outer lower guide surface 54, and the portion where they are connected is designated as the first ridge line RD1. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, the portion where the lower guide surface 51 and the outer lower guide surface 54 are connected may be rounded or otherwise processed, and various shapes formed in the portion where they are connected may be considered as the first ridge line RD1. Specifically, for example, in the portion where the lower guide surface 51 and the outer lower guide surface 54 are connected, a relatively narrow curved surface may be used to connect them, and this curved surface may be considered as the first ridge line RD1. In short, it is sufficient that the leading edge of the banknote being deposited does not come into contact with the outer lower guide surface 54 and the outer front guide surface 55, but rather that a portion is formed that contacts the leading edge of the banknote. The same applies to the second ridge line RD2, the third ridge line RD3, and the fourth ridge line RD4.

[0157] Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments described above describe a configuration in which a plurality of protrusions 58 are provided on the deposit slot guide 23 (Figures 5 and 6). However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, the protrusions 58 may be omitted from the deposit slot guide 23.

[0158] Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments described above describe an application of this disclosure to the deposit section 12 of a banknote processing device 5 incorporated into a cash processing device 1 used by retail store employees or customers. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and may also be applied to various devices that handle banknote transactions with users, such as banknote processing devices used by financial institution employees at the counter of a financial institution, or automated teller machines (ATMs).

[0159] Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments described above describe how the disclosure is applied to the deposit section 12 of a banknote processing device 5 in a cash processing device 1 that trades banknotes as a medium with a user. However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and may also be applied to the part of various devices that trade various paper-shaped media with a user, such as various gift certificates, securities, or vouchers or admission tickets, where the device receives the media from the user.

[0160] 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, as well as exemplary embodiments that extract some of them. The scope of this disclosure also 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.

[0161] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment described above, a media processing device is configured with a lower guide surface 51 as a first guide surface, an inner front lower guide surface 52 as a second guide surface, and an outer lower guide surface 54 as a third guide surface. However, the disclosure is not limited to this, and a media processing device may be configured with a first guide surface, a second guide surface, and a third guide surface having various other configurations.

[0162] This disclosure can be used, for example, in the deposit section of a banknote processing device that handles banknotes.

[0163] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-174893 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0164] 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 first guide surface facing a transport path in the transport direction in which a sheet of paper-like medium is to be transported; a second guide surface positioned on the reverse direction side opposite to the transport direction relative to the first guide surface and inclined to approach the transport path as it moves in the transport direction; and a third guide surface positioned outside the second guide surface in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction and inclined to approach the transport path as it moves in the transport direction and also as it moves outward in the width direction, wherein the third guide surface is a curved surface that protrudes away from the transport path.

2. The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first ridge formed at the portion where the third guide surface and the first guide surface are connected is inclined to approach the transport path and to advance outward in the width direction as it advances in the transport direction.

3. The media processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first ridge is formed by the third guide surface and the first guide surface.

4. The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second ridge formed at the portion where the third guide surface and the second guide surface are connected is inclined to advance outward in the width direction as it advances in the conveying direction.

5. The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second ridge formed at the portion where the third guide surface and the second guide surface are connected is inclined to approach the transport path as it advances in the transport direction.

6. The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third guide surface has a straight shape in a virtual cross-section perpendicular to the width direction, and the angle of inclination with respect to the transport direction is changed to gradually decrease as it moves from the inside to the outside in the width direction.

7. The media processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth guide surface provided on the side of the third guide surface opposite to the transport path, and inclined to advance toward the transport direction as it extends outward in the width direction, wherein a third ridge formed at the portion where the second guide surface and the fourth guide surface are connected is inclined to approach the transport path as it extends outward in the width direction.

8. The media processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the third guide surface and the fourth guide surface are provided on both sides in the width direction, and the length from one end of the transport path to the fourth guide surface provided on the other side in the width direction is shorter than the length in the width direction of the smallest medium with the shortest width direction among the media that can be handled in the specifications of the media processing apparatus.

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