JP2005335832A - Paper handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper delivery device capable of avoiding a condition that a function of the device is completely stopped and continuing an operating condition even when a problem such as failure occurs to a reversing mechanism of any one of switch back devices. <P>SOLUTION: A switch back device 23 installed to a papers handling device has a first reversing mechanism 23R and a second reversing mechanism 23L reversing top and bottom of paper P delivered through a delivery path 30 and returned to the delivery path, and a sorting mechanism alternately introducing a plurality sheets of paper into the first and second mechanisms. When any one of the first and second reversing mechanisms stops its function, a control unit enlarges a delivery interval of the paper passing through the delivery path, and delivers the paper only to the other reversing mechanism to perform a reverse processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper sheet processing apparatus that processes paper sheets such as securities, and more particularly, to a paper sheet processing apparatus provided with a switchback mechanism for inverting paper sheets.

  In an automatic labor-saving machine that handles banknotes, checks, gift certificates, securities, etc., a process is performed in which sheets are organized and accumulated by face value and type, and a bundle of 100 sheets is made. In addition, as a pre-process for the mail address reading classification process, a process for detecting the position of a postal stamp of a standard mail and automatically pressing a postmark there is performed. In such a paper sheet processing apparatus that performs various processes on paper sheets, it is necessary to have a function of discriminating and aligning the four directions of the top and bottom of the paper sheet in common. A tandem top-and-bottom reversing device, that is, a tandem switchback device is known as one of the mechanisms that perform this function.

  A paper sheet processing apparatus equipped with a tandem switchback device includes a placement unit on which paper sheets are placed, a separation mechanism that takes in the paper sheets one by one from the placement unit, and a loaded paper sheet. A transport mechanism for transporting along the transport path is provided. An alignment unit, an inspection unit, and an exclusion box are provided along the conveyance path. The alignment unit aligns the posture and the transport position of the paper sheets, and the inspection unit determines the count, authenticity, direction, thickness, and correctness of the paper sheets. The paper sheets that have been determined to be excluded by the inspection unit are accumulated in an exclusion box.

  A tandem type switchback device is provided in the middle of the transport path, and the paper sheets are turned upside down by inverting the paper sheets as necessary by the switchback device. Further, a front / back reversing device is provided on the downstream side of the switchback device along the conveyance path, and the front and back of the paper sheets are aligned by twisting and reversing the paper sheets as necessary by the front / back reversing device. Paper sheets arranged in four directions by the combination of the switchback device and the front / back reversing device are each accumulated in a stacker according to type.

  Whether the paper sheet conveyed through the conveyance path passes through the tandem switchback device is sorted based on the determination result in the inspection unit. The tandem switchback device includes a pair of left and right reversing mechanisms. Each time the passage of the paper sheet is detected by the sensor, the sorting gate moves left and right, so that the paper sheet is alternately distributed to the left and right reversing mechanisms one by one.

  In the reversing mechanism on the right side, when the carry-in of the paper sheet is detected, the reversing motor starts control, and the reversing roller temporarily stops with the paper sheet sandwiched between the pinch roller. Thereafter, the paper sheet is fed back and forth, that is, sent to the conveyance path in a switched-back state by performing a reverse operation. Here, the paper sheet is guided by the tapping car so as not to flow backward in the conveyance path.

The left reversing mechanism is configured similarly to the right reversing mechanism. The functions of the left and right reversing mechanisms are exactly the same, and one is arranged in tandem because paper sheets cannot be processed. Paper sheets that have passed through the switchback device and paper sheets that have not passed through the switchback device are sequentially transported to the front / back reversing section through the transport path (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-95505 A

  In the paper sheet processing apparatus provided with the conventional switchback device described above, the continuously conveyed paper sheets are alternately distributed to the left and right reversing mechanisms. When a failure occurs, there is a problem that the function of the entire apparatus must be stopped even when the other reversing mechanism is usable. For example, if the content can be recovered immediately, it will not be a big problem, but if it takes a few days to procure parts for repair, the entire paper sheet processing device cannot be used at all. Therefore, there is a concern that the work efficiency will be greatly affected.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to completely stop the function of the entire sheet processing apparatus even when a problem such as a failure occurs in the reversing mechanism of one of the switchback devices. It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper sheet transporting device that can avoid the situation of doing so and can maintain the operating state.

  In order to achieve the above object, a paper sheet processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a transport mechanism that transports a plurality of paper sheets one by one along a transport path at a predetermined transport interval, and the transport path. A first reversing mechanism and a second reversing mechanism provided to reverse the top and bottom of the paper sheets transported through the transport path and return them to the transport path, respectively, and the first and second reversals of the plurality of paper sheets When one of the first and second reversing mechanisms stops functioning, the paper sheet conveyance interval is increased and the other reversal is performed when one of the first and second reversing mechanisms stops functioning. And a control unit for conveying paper sheets only to the mechanism.

  A sheet processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes a conveyance mechanism that conveys a plurality of sheets one by one at a predetermined conveyance interval along a conveyance path, and is provided in the conveyance path. An inspection unit that counts and inspects paper sheets passing through the paper, and a first reversing mechanism that is provided in the transport path and reverses the top and bottom of the paper sheets transported through the transport path and returns them to the transport path. A switchback device having a two-reversing mechanism and a distribution mechanism for alternately guiding the plurality of sheets to the first and second reversing mechanisms; and branching from the conveyance path to bypass the switchback device The detour extending in this way, provided in the detour, and disposed in a branching section between the conveyance path and the detour in which the paper container that cannot be counted by the inspection unit is accumulated, and in the inspection unit Depending on the inspection result, the paper sheet is transferred to the transport path and the detour. When one of the branching mechanism that selectively sorts and the first and second reversing mechanisms stop functioning, two sheets are continuously conveyed to the switchback device. A control unit that transports the paper sheets of the eyes to the other reversing mechanism by the branching mechanism and the sorting mechanism, and sorts the second paper sheets to the detour by the branching mechanism, and accumulates them in the exclusion box; I have.

  According to the present invention, even when one of the reversing mechanisms in the switchback device stops due to a failure or the like, it is possible to avoid the state where the entire device stops and maintain the operation with a processing efficiency of 50% or more. A possible paper sheet processing apparatus can be provided.

Hereinafter, a paper sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the paper sheet processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention mixes a plurality of types of paper sheets having different sizes and inputs them in a lump, and the front and back sides of all the paper sheets. And the top and bottom are arranged in the same direction and are classified and accumulated by type.

  The paper sheet processing apparatus includes a substantially rectangular box-shaped casing 8 that forms an outer shell thereof. The step portion at the upper right of the housing 2 in the figure is provided with a loading portion 16 for placing paper sheets. A plurality of sheets P are stacked in the loading unit 16 in a state where the width direction is in a standing state in a state where the sheets P are stacked in the surface direction. A pair of pickup rollers 7 functioning as a taking-in mechanism is provided in the vicinity of the insertion portion 16 in the housing 8. The paper sheet P input to the input unit 16 is placed on the stage of the input unit and is pressed toward the pickup roller 7 by the backup plate 13. The pickup roller 7 separates the paper sheets P one by one from the input unit 16 and takes them into the housing 8.

  In the upper part of the housing 8, an inspection unit 15 that inspects characteristics such as the type, size, front and back of the paper sheet P, the orientation with respect to the top and bottom, the presence or absence of dirt and breakage, and counts the paper sheets, the paper sheets Are provided with a tandem switchback device 23 for reversing the top and bottom of the paper, a rejection chamber 21 for collecting the paper sheets, and a front / back reversing unit 14 for reversing the front and back of the paper sheets. A plurality of stackers 17a to 17f for stacking a plurality of paper sheets in a stacked state are provided side by side in the lower portion of the housing 8.

  In the housing 8, a conveyance path 30 extending from the input unit 16 to the respective stackers 17 through the inspection unit 15, the switchback device 23, and the front / back reversing unit 14 is formed. The conveyance path 30 includes a first bypass 31a that bypasses the switchback device from the entry side to the exit side of the switchback device 23, and a front and back inversion portion from the entry side to the exit side of the front and back inversion portion 14. The first detour path 31b extending around detour. The exclusion cabinet 21 is connected to the first detour. A plurality of transport rollers and a transport guide (not shown) are provided along the transport path 30, the first and second detours 31a and 31b, and form a transport mechanism. The transport mechanism includes a motor to be described later that drives the transport roller.

  At the branch portions of the transport path 30, the first and second detours 31a and 31b, sorting gates G1 to G9 for selectively switching the transport direction of the paper sheet P based on the inspection result in the inspection unit 15 are provided. Is provided. The distribution gate G1 functions as a branch mechanism. In addition, a plurality of sensors that detect passage of paper sheets are provided in the transport path 30 and the first and second bypass paths 31a and 31b.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a switchback device 23 is provided on the conveyance path 30 branched at the position of the distribution gate G1 provided on the most upstream side. The switchback device 23 functions to reverse the top and bottom of the paper sheet P that has been carried in via the sorting gate G1 and send it again onto the transport path. The first bypass 31a branched at the position of the sorting gate G1 bypasses the switchback device 23 and conveys the paper sheet P. The first detour 31a has a length in which the paper sheet P that has passed through the switchback device 10 via the sorting gate G1 and the paper sheet P that has passed the first detour reach the junction 9 at the same time interval. Is set to

  The first detour 31a is branched to the exclusion transport path 6 on the way to the junction 9, and a distribution gate G2 is provided at this branch position. At the end of the exclusion conveyance path 6 branched from the first bypass 31a, an exclusion cabinet 21 for collecting paper sheets P to be excluded is provided. The paper sheet P to be excluded is a paper sheet that has been determined to be picked by the inspection unit 15, a paper sheet that has been determined to be greatly skewed beyond a predetermined level, or a paper that is severely painful It is a paper sheet that has been determined to be impossible to process in the subsequent processing unit, such as a leaf. In addition, paper sheets whose characteristics could not be detected by the inspection unit 15 are also excluded to the reject box 21. The exclusion cabinet 21 is disposed above the input unit 16 and is accessible from the outside of the housing 2.

  A sensor SC1 that detects the passage of the paper sheet P is provided in the conveyance path 30 on the upstream side of the branch portion between the conveyance path 30 and the first bypass 31a. A sensor SC2 for detecting the passage of the paper sheet P is provided in the first bypass 31b on the downstream side of the branch portion. A sensor SC3 that detects passage of the paper sheet P is provided in the transport path 30 on the downstream side of the branching portion. Further, a sensor SC5 that detects the passage of the paper sheet P is provided in the conveyance path 30 on the downstream side of the junction 9 between the conveyance path 30 and the first bypass 31a.

  The conveyance path 30 extending downstream from the junction 9 is branched again in two directions. A distribution gate G4 is provided at this branch position. A front / back reversing unit 14 is provided on the conveyance path 30 branched at the position of the sorting gate G4. The front / back reversing part 14 has a torsion conveying path twisted 180 ° around the central axis from the inlet toward the outlet. When the paper sheet P passes through the twist conveyance path, the front and back of the paper sheet P are reversed.

  The second bypass 31b branched at the position of the sorting gate G3 bypasses the front / back reversing unit 14 and conveys the paper sheet P. The second detour 31b is a length in which the paper sheet P that has passed through the front / back reversing unit 14 and the paper sheet P that has passed through the second detour 31b reach the joining unit 22 at the same time interval via the sorting gate G3. Is set.

  The conveyance path 30 further comprises a horizontal conveyance path 32 extending substantially horizontally on the downstream side of the junction 22. On the horizontal conveyance path 32, the remaining five distribution gates G5 to G9 are provided at substantially equal intervals. At the positions branched downward from the horizontal conveyance path 32 by the respective distribution gates G5, G6, G7, G8, G9, there are six stacking portions 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d, 17e, one more than the number of distribution gates. 17f is provided.

  The paper sheets P that have passed through the merging portion 22 are distributed from the horizontal conveyance path 32 to a desired stacking box by any of the sorting gates G5 to G9, and are collected in the stacking box. The paper sheet P that has passed through the merging portion 22 selectively passes through the switchback device 23 and / or the front / back reversing portion 14 described above, and the orientation of the front / back and top / bottom is aligned. Therefore, the paper sheets P stacked on the stacking units 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d, 17e, and 17f are stacked on a predetermined stacking unit according to type with the front and back sides and the top and bottom aligned.

  Next, the switchback device 23 described above will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  The switchback device 23 includes left and right reversing mechanisms 23L and 23R provided symmetrically with respect to the transport path 30, that is, the first and second reversing mechanisms and the paper sheet P carried through the transport path. And a third sorting gate G3 that selectively sorts the left and right reversing mechanisms. The paper sheet P conveyed by the switchback device 23 is alternately sent to the left and right reversing mechanisms 23L and 23R by switching the third sorting gate G3 functioning as a sorting mechanism between two positions. The two reversing mechanisms 20R and 20L have the same structure and the same function. Here, the reversing mechanism 23R on the right side of the conveyance path 5 will be described as a representative, and the left reversing mechanism 23L will be described. The members having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals (L at the end of the reference numerals), and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The reversing mechanism 20R has a substantially Y-shaped guide passage 40R that is communicated with the conveyance path 30 at both ends and extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the conveyance path, and a third distribution gate at the intersection. A tapping wheel 42R is provided for guiding the leading end in the transport direction of the paper sheet P transported through G3 into the guide passage 40R. Two reversing rollers 10R arranged in parallel on one side of the paper sheet P guided through the tapping wheel 42R and the paper sheet P are sandwiched between the reversing rollers in the straight portion of the guide passage 40R. Thus, there are provided two pinch rollers 11R pressed against each reversing roller, and a reversing motor 12R that rotates the two reversing rollers 10R in both forward and reverse directions. Sensors SC4R1, SC4R2, and SC4R3 that detect the passage of the paper sheet P are provided at the entrance end, the exit end, and the straight end portion of the guide passage 40R, respectively. A plurality of guide members and transport rollers for guiding the paper sheet P are provided on the transport path of the paper sheet P passing through the reversing mechanism 23R.

  In the reversing mechanism 23R on the right side, when the paper sheet P passes through the SC4R1, the reversing motor 12R starts to operate, and the reversing roller 10R and the pinch roller 11R grab the paper sheet P and enter the linear portion of the guide path 40R. After pulling in, pause. Thereafter, the reverse motor 12R is rotated in the reverse direction, whereby the paper sheet P is sent from the straight portion of the guide passage 40R to the outflow end and reversed. The leading end of the paper sheet P in the conveyance direction is guided by the hitting wheel 42R so that the paper sheet P does not flow backward through the guide passage 40R. The left reversing mechanism 23L is configured in the same manner, and the paper sheet P is inverted upside down and sent to the conveyance path 30 by the same operation.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the drive control system of the paper sheet processing apparatus configured as described above includes the inspection unit 15 and the passage of paper sheets in the control unit 50 that controls the operation of the paper sheet processing apparatus. Sensors SC1, SC2, SC3, SC4R1, SC4R2, SC4R3, SC5, solenoids 52a to 52i for respectively driving distribution gates G1 to G9, a memory 54, and a motor controller 56 are connected. The motor controller 56 includes a transport motor 57 for driving a transport roller of a transport mechanism including a pickup roller, a motor 58 for rotating tapping wheels 42R and 42L provided in the reversing mechanisms 23R and 23L, and a reversing roller 10R, Reversing motors 12R and 12L that rotate 10L in both forward and reverse directions are connected to drive these motors. Further, the control unit 50 measures the passage time of the paper sheet P in order to detect the transport pitch of the paper sheet P passing through the sensor, and measures the stop time of the paper sheet P in the reversing mechanisms 23R and 23L. Timer 59, an operation program of the switchback device 23, the stop time according to the length along the transport direction of the paper sheet, the deceleration time of the paper sheet according to the measured transport pitch, the acceleration time, A memory 60 in which stop time and the like are stored in advance is connected.

Next, the processing operation of the paper sheet processing apparatus configured as described above will be described.
First, the operator sets a plurality of loose paper sheets in the input unit 16. The set paper sheets are taken one by one by the pickup roller 7 and sent to the inspection unit 15 through the conveyance path 30. The inspection unit 15 obtains information such as the type of paper sheet, the correctness and posture of the paper sheet, and the like.

  The sorting gate G1 is switched at the timing when the paper sheet P conveyed from the inspection unit 15 via the conveyance path 30 passes the sensor SC1. When the paper sheet P is a paper sheet to be turned upside down, the sorting gate G1 is switched to a position for guiding the paper sheet P to the switchback device 23, and the paper sheet P needs to be switched back. If it is determined that the paper sheet is not present or is a paper sheet that cannot be reused, the paper sheet P is switched to a position for guiding it to the first bypass 31a.

  The distribution gate G2 is switched at the timing when the paper sheet P guided to the first bypass 31a via the distribution gate G1 passes the sensor SC2. The sorting gate G2 is switched to a position where the paper sheet P is guided to the exclusion transport path 6 when the paper sheet P is a non-reusable paper sheet, and when it is any other paper sheet, It is switched to a position for guiding the leaves P to the junction 9.

  The sorting gate G3 is switched at the timing when the leading end of the paper sheet P guided to the switchback device 23 via the sorting gate G1 passes the shift sensor SC3. The sorting gate G3 is switched so that the sheets P led to the switchback device 23 are alternately sorted one by one to the left and right reversing mechanisms 23R and 23L. The paper sheet P guided to the right reversing mechanism 23R through the sorting gate G3 is sent to the transport path 30 through the junction 9 after the top and bottom are reversed. Similarly, the paper sheet P guided to the right reversing mechanism 23L is sent to the conveyance path 30 through the junction 9 after the top and bottom are reversed. The functions of the left and right reversing mechanisms 23L and 23R are exactly the same, and are arranged in tandem because a single sheet cannot be processed completely.

  Thereafter, the sorting gate G4 is switched at the timing when the paper sheet P passes the sensor SC5. When the paper sheet P is a paper sheet to be reversed, the sorting gate G4 is switched to a position for guiding the paper sheet P to the front / back reversing unit 14, and the paper sheet P needs to be reversed. If the paper sheet is not present, the paper sheet P is switched to a position for guiding it to the second bypass 31b.

  The paper sheet P guided to the front / back reversing unit 14 via the sorting gate G4 is sent to the transport path 30 after the front / back is reversed here. Further, the paper sheet P guided to the second bypass 31b joins the transport path 30 at the junction 22. Thereafter, the paper sheet P is sent to the horizontal conveyance path 32 and is sent to a desired stacker 17 by any one of the distribution gates G5 to G9.

  On the other hand, when one of the reversing mechanisms 23L or 23R of the switchback device 23 fails during the processing operation, the control unit 50 processes the paper sheets by the degeneration control operation shown in FIG. That is, when detecting an abnormality in the reversing mechanism, the control unit 50 changes the take-in interval of the paper sheet P by the pickup roller 7 to twice the normal, and changes the paper sheet conveyance pitch to twice the normal. Further, the control unit 50 fixes the sorting gate G3 for sorting the paper sheet P to the left and right reversing mechanisms 23R and 23L in the direction of sorting to the other normal reversing mechanism. In this state, conveyance and processing of the paper sheet P are started.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the transport pitch of paper sheets during normal operation is x, the left and right reversing mechanisms 23R and 23L of the switchback device 23 are each transported continuously at a transport pitch 2x. Have the ability to handle. Therefore, when one of the reversing mechanisms, for example, the left reversing mechanism 23L has some trouble and does not operate normally, as shown in FIG. 6, the feeding pitch of the paper sheet P during loading is set to 2x. Thus, the top-and-bottom reversing process can be performed even if all the paper sheets are conveyed to the normal right-side reversing mechanism 23R. In this case, the processing capacity of the entire apparatus is reduced to 50%, but the operating state can be maintained even at 50% as compared with the case where the apparatus is completely stopped. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a significant decrease in work efficiency.

  The abnormality detection of the reversing mechanism is performed by the following self-diagnosis. As an abnormality diagnosis method, diagnosis is performed by sensor level abnormality of each of the sensors SC1 to SC5, continuous in an arbitrary period with an error code for each corresponding section, and the like. For example, after the passage of the paper sheet P is detected by the sensor SC1 provided on the upstream side of the switchback device 23, the paper sheet is detected by the sensor SC5 provided on the downstream side of the switchback device 23 after a predetermined time has elapsed. When P is not detected, the control unit 50 detects whether or not the paper sheet P has passed through the sensors SC4R1 to SC4R3 and SC4L1 to SC4L3, and determines the position of the paper sheet. For example, after the paper sheet P has passed through the inlet side sensor SC4R1 of the right reversing mechanism 23R, if the passage of the outlet side sensor SC4R3 is not detected, the control unit 50 determines that the paper sheet P is on the right side. It is determined that it is located in the guide passage 40R of the reversing mechanism 23R, and abnormality is diagnosed. Alternatively, when any of SC4R1 to SC4R3 is in the ON state for a predetermined time or more, it is determined that the paper sheet P is located in the guide passage 40R of the reversing mechanism 23R by detecting this. Can diagnose abnormalities.

  The control unit 50 detects a failure of either the left or right reversing mechanism through self-diagnosis, and automatically shifts to the above-described degeneration control operation. In this case, it is desirable to transmit the fact of the failure to the operator via a display unit or the like of an operation panel (not shown) at the same time as the transition.

  According to the paper sheet processing apparatus configured as described above, even when one of the reversing mechanisms in the switchback apparatus stops due to a failure or the like, the state where the entire apparatus stops is avoided, and 50% or more. It is possible to maintain the operation with the processing efficiency. Thereby, it is possible to provide a paper sheet processing apparatus capable of preventing a significant decrease in work efficiency.

  Next explained is the second embodiment of the invention. According to this embodiment, when one of the reversing mechanisms 23L or 23R of the switchback device 23 breaks down during the processing operation of the banknote handling apparatus, the paper sheets that have been sent two consecutively are switched back. The device 23 makes it impossible to switch back, that is, upside down.

  Therefore, the control unit 50 processes the paper sheets by the degeneration control operation shown in FIG. When detecting the abnormality of the reversing mechanism, the control unit 50 guides the first sheet to the switchback device 23 when the two sheets to be reversed are conveyed continuously. The paper sheets are guided to the exclusion cabinet 21 and treated as exclusion.

  As shown in FIG. 8, there are four directions, FF, FR, BF, and BR, in the input direction of the paper sheet P depending on the design. Of these, the direction in which the switchback device 23 needs to be passed depends on the definition, but, for example, there is a probability of 1/2 like the FF direction and the BF direction. When the first sheet P is in the FF direction as in the pattern A shown in FIG. 9, the sheet P can be processed by the remaining normal inversion mechanism. Further, since the second sheet P is in the FR direction, it is not necessary to invert the top and bottom and does not need to pass through the switchback device 23. The next third sheet P needs to pass through the switchback device 23 in the FF direction. While the second sheet P is being processed, the first sheet P Can be reversed by a normal reversing mechanism, so that the third sheet can be sent to the switchback device 23.

  On the other hand, when three sheets of paper sheets P in the FF direction are continuous as in the pattern B shown in FIG. 9, the first and third sheets P can be reversed by the switchback device 23. For the second sheet P, the processing is not in time with only one reversing mechanism. Therefore, the second sheet P is not sent to the switchback device 23 and is treated as excluded.

  When the loading direction and the transport direction of the paper sheet P are random, the probability that two sheets of paper sheets that require top-and-bottom reversal processing are consecutive is 1/2 × 1/2 = 1/4, which is 25%. However, when the paper sheets P are aligned in the same direction and all the paper sheets P aligned as in pattern B need to be turned upside down, every other sheet P is handled as being excluded. The probability of being eliminated is 50%. On the other hand, if the direction is aligned when the paper sheet is input and is set in a direction that does not require the top-and-bottom inversion process, all the paper sheets can be processed without being excluded. Therefore, although it depends on the state of input, it is possible to continue operating the paper sheet processing apparatus with an efficiency of 50% or more and 100% or less without changing the paper sheet pitch of the paper sheet P.

  In order to execute the above-described processing, as shown in FIG. 7, when the control unit 50 detects an abnormality of the reversing mechanism, the control unit 50 sets a distribution gate G3 for distributing the paper sheet P to the left and right reversing mechanisms 23R and 23L. Fix in the direction to distribute to the other normal reversing mechanism. In this state, conveyance and processing of the paper sheet P are started. Subsequently, when the control unit 50 detects the passage of the paper sheet P based on the detection signal from the sensor SC1, the sent paper sheet P needs to be turned upside down based on the inspection result of the inspection unit 15. It is determined whether or not it is a paper sheet. In the case of a paper sheet P that requires top-and-bottom reversal processing, the control unit 50 switches the sorting gate G1 to a direction (first position) for guiding the paper sheet to the switchback device 23, and does not require top-and-bottom reversal processing. In the case of P, the sorting gate G1 is switched to the direction (second position) for guiding the paper sheet to the first bypass 31a.

  In addition, when two sheets P to be inverted are sent continuously, the control unit 50 switches the sorting gate G1 to the second position for the second sheet P and switches to the first position. It guides to the detour route 31a, and further stores in the reject box 21 through the reject transport path 6. The following method is used to detect whether or not two sheets P to be inverted are sent continuously.

  First, the control unit 50 determines whether the sorting gate G1 is in the first position or the second position when the paper sheet P to be turned upside down is detected by the sensor SC1 provided immediately before the sorting gate G1. Is detected. When the sorting gate G1 is at the first position, the control unit 50 determines that the paper sheet P processed immediately before is the paper sheet sent to the switchback device 23, that is, the top-to-bottom reversal process should be performed. It is determined that two sheets P have been sent continuously. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 50 switches the sorting gate G3 to the second position and guides the second sheet P to the first bypass 31a.

  On the other hand, when the paper sheet P to be turned upside down is detected by the sensor SC1 provided immediately before the sorting gate G1, when the sorting gate G1 is in the second position, the control unit 50 immediately before It is determined that the processed paper sheet P has not been sent to the switchback device 23, that is, it is determined that two sheets of paper sheet P to be subjected to the upside down process are not continuous. Accordingly, the control unit 50 switches the sorting gate G1 to the first position, sends the paper sheet P to the switchback device 23, and performs a top-and-bottom inversion process.

  Note that the paper sheets P accumulated in the reject box 21 as being handled as being excluded are taken out of the reject box and then placed on the input unit 16 again, and the same processing as described above is performed. Further, the abnormality of the reversing mechanism is detected by the same self-diagnosis as in the first embodiment described above. In addition, in 2nd Embodiment, the structure of the paper sheet processing apparatus is the same as 1st Embodiment, The detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  According to the second embodiment configured as described above, even when an abnormality occurs in one reversing mechanism, the efficiency of 50% or more and 100% or less is obtained without changing the paper sheet pitch of the paper sheet P. With this, the sheet processing apparatus can be continuously operated. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a significant decrease in work efficiency compared to when the apparatus is completely stopped.

  Next explained is the third embodiment of the invention. According to the present embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in one of the reversing mechanisms of the switchback device 23, the control unit 50 reduces the take-in speed of paper sheets from the input unit 16 and at the normal reversing mechanism. The processing of the sheet processing apparatus is continued by increasing the processing speed.

  First, when the controller 50 detects an abnormality in one reversing mechanism, the controller 50 distributes the sorting gate G3 for sorting the paper sheet P to the left and right reversing mechanisms 23R and 23L to the other normal reversing mechanism. Fix it. In this state, conveyance and processing of the paper sheet P are started. At this time, the controller 50 reduces the pickup speed of the pickup roller 7 by about 33.3% from the normal 15 sheets / second to 10 sheets / second. Subsequently, when the control unit 50 detects the passage of the paper sheet P based on the detection signal from the sensor SC1, based on the inspection result of the inspection unit 15, the sent paper sheet P needs to be turned upside down. It is determined whether or not it is a paper sheet. In the case of a paper sheet P that requires top-and-bottom reversal processing, the control unit 50 switches the sorting gate G1 to a direction (first position) for guiding the paper sheet to the switchback device 23, and does not require top-and-bottom reversal processing. In the case of P, the sorting gate G1 is switched to the direction (second position) for guiding the paper sheet to the first bypass 31a.

  When performing the top-and-bottom reversal processing of the paper sheet P by the normal reversing mechanism, the control unit 50 shortens the acceleration / deceleration time of the reversing roller 10R or 10L in the reversing mechanism from the normal 30 ms to 20 ms, and the guide path 40R. Or the penetration distance of the paper sheet P with respect to 40L is shortened from normal 80 mm to 70 mm. This increases the processing speed of the reversing mechanism. Thereafter, the paper sheet is processed by the same operation as in the above-described embodiment.

  The abnormality of the reversing mechanism is detected by the same self-diagnosis as in the first embodiment described above. In addition, in 3rd Embodiment, the structure of the paper sheet processing apparatus is the same as 1st Embodiment, The detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  According to the third embodiment configured as described above, even when an abnormality occurs in one reversing mechanism, the sheet processing apparatus is operated with an efficiency reduced by 33.3% as compared with the normal state. You can continue. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a significant decrease in work efficiency compared to when the apparatus is completely stopped. In the third embodiment, the rate of decrease in paper sheet taking-in speed and the rate of increase in reversing mechanism processing speed are not limited to the values described above, but can be increased or decreased depending on the situation.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the components without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an entire paper sheet processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The front view which expands and shows the switchback apparatus in the said paper sheet processing apparatus. The block diagram which shows schematically the drive control system of the said paper sheet processing apparatus. The flowchart which shows the processing operation when one inversion mechanism fails in the said paper sheet processing apparatus. In the paper sheet processing apparatus, a diagram illustrating a transport pitch of paper sheets when a switchback device is normal. In the paper sheet processing apparatus, a diagram showing a transport pitch of paper sheets when one reversing mechanism fails. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing operation when one of the reversing mechanisms fails in the paper sheet processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The top view which shows typically the various directions of paper sheets in the said paper sheet processing apparatus. The top view which shows typically the combined pattern of direction of the paper sheets conveyed continuously in the said paper sheet processing apparatus. The top view which shows typically the combined pattern of direction of the paper sheets conveyed continuously in the said paper sheet processing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

10R, 10L ... reversing roller, 15 ... inspection section, 16 ... input section, 17 ... stacking box,
21 ... Exclusion warehouse, 23 ... Switchback device, 23R, 23L ... Reversing mechanism,
30 ... conveying path, 31a ... first detour, 31b ... second detour, 50 ... control unit.

Claims (7)

A transport mechanism for transporting a plurality of paper sheets one by one at a predetermined transport interval along a transport path;
A first reversing mechanism and a second reversing mechanism that are provided in the transport path and reverse the top and bottom of the paper sheets transported through the transport path and return them to the transport path, and the plurality of paper sheets are the first sheet. And a distribution mechanism that alternately leads to the second reversing mechanism, and a switchback device having
When one of the first and second reversing mechanisms stops functioning, the control unit for expanding the paper sheet conveyance interval and conveying the paper sheets only to the other reversing mechanism;
A paper sheet processing apparatus.   A loading unit into which a plurality of paper sheets are loaded, and a take-in mechanism that separates the sheets fed into the loading unit one by one and takes them into the transport path at a predetermined interval, and the control unit includes: The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when one of the first and second reversing mechanisms stops functioning, a paper sheet taking-in interval by the taking-in mechanism is expanded. A transport mechanism for transporting a plurality of paper sheets one by one at a predetermined transport interval along a transport path;
An inspection unit that is provided in the conveyance path and counts and inspects the paper sheets passing through the conveyance path;
A first reversing mechanism and a second reversing mechanism which are provided in the transport path and reverse the top and bottom of the paper sheets transported through the transport path and return them to the transport path, and the plurality of paper sheets are the first sheet. And a distribution mechanism that alternately leads to the second reversing mechanism, and a switchback device having
A detour that branches off from the transport path and extends around the switchback device;
An exclusion box that is provided in the detour and accumulates paper sheets that cannot be counted by the inspection unit;
A branch mechanism that is provided at a branch portion between the transport path and the detour, and selectively distributes the paper sheets to the transport path and the detour according to the inspection result of the inspection section;
When one of the first and second reversing mechanisms stops functioning, when the two sheets are continuously conveyed to the switchback device, the first sheet is transferred to the branch mechanism. And a control unit that conveys the second sheet to the detour by the branching mechanism and accumulates it in the exclusion box, and transports it to the other reversing mechanism by the sorting mechanism,
A paper sheet processing apparatus.   The branch mechanism is a gate provided so as to be switchable between a first position for guiding the paper sheet to the switchback device via the transport path and a second position for guiding the paper sheet to the detour. And when the control unit stops functioning of one of the first and second reversing mechanisms, the control unit passes the gate and before the next sheet is sent. The position of the gate is detected, and when the gate is in the first position, it is detected that two sheets are continuously conveyed to the switchback device, and the gate is switched to the second position. Item 4. A paper sheet processing apparatus according to item 3. An input section into which a plurality of paper sheets are input;
A take-in mechanism that separates the sheets fed into the loading section one by one and takes them in at predetermined intervals;
A transport mechanism for transporting the captured paper sheets one by one along the transport path;
An inspection unit that is provided in the conveyance path and counts and inspects the paper sheets passing through the conveyance path;
A first reversing mechanism and a second reversing mechanism which are provided in the transport path and reverse the top and bottom of the paper sheets transported through the transport path and return them to the transport path, and the plurality of paper sheets are the first sheet. And a distribution mechanism that alternately leads to the second reversing mechanism, and a switchback device having
When one of the first and second reversing mechanisms stops functioning, the paper sheet taking-in interval by the taking-in mechanism is increased, the processing speed of the other reversing mechanism is increased, and only the other reversing mechanism is A control unit for conveying paper sheets to
A paper sheet processing apparatus.   Each of the first and second reversing mechanisms includes a reversing roller that conveys the paper sheets, and a guide passage that guides the movement of the paper sheets, and the control unit includes the first and second reversing mechanisms. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when one of the functions stops, the acceleration / deceleration time of the reversing roller is shortened, and the approach distance of the sheet into the guide path is set short.   Provided in the transport path and the switchback device, each of which includes a plurality of sensors for detecting passage of paper sheets, and the control unit is configured to detect the first or second reversing mechanism according to a detection signal from the sensor. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the function stop is detected.

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