JP2007210718A - Paper handling device and its maintenance system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper handling device establishing a determination method capable of performing extraction of a roller and a conveying belt requiring cleaning and capable of enhancing efficiency of maintenance work and cost reduction in the device for handling paper. <P>SOLUTION: The paper handling device according to the present invention is provided with a pay-out means for storing and paying out predetermined uniform evaluation medium; a control means for conveying the whole of the device or a part of the device at the predetermined time or timing for the evaluation medium; a detection means for detecting the conveying state such as a passing time and a passing timing of the conveyed evaluation medium; a determination means for determining deterioration of characteristic of a conveying means such as a rubber roller and a conveying belt based on signal data of the conveying state detected by the detection means; and an informing means for informing an official in charge and a user of requirement of the maintenance work when it is determined by the determination means that the maintenance work such as cleaning is required. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper sheet handling apparatus and its maintenance system.

  A conventional automatic teller machine as a paper sheet handling device separates and feeds out stacked banknotes one by one by a rubber roller, and processes the paper while sandwiching it with a rubber-like transport belt or roller. It was. At the time of this processing, the state of conveyance of each banknote is detected by a passage sensor provided in the conveyance section, and conveyance direction switching control, failure detection, and the like are performed based on this detection signal.

  By the way, when handling and transporting paper sheets such as banknotes for a long period of time, paper handling devices such as the above-mentioned automatic teller machine are free of paper dust or the like on the surface of rubber rollers or belts for transporting paper sheets. Ink such as banknotes adheres and the surface condition changes. In particular, the reduction in the friction coefficient causes problems such as a reduction in processing speed and frequent rejection (bad bills) due to poor conveyance because paper sheets cannot be fed out or conveyed at normal timing.

  In order to prevent such a problem, for example, as in the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, in order to diagnose a conveyance abnormality in the feed unit, a passage time signal of paper provided in the conveyance path is measured, Fault diagnosis is performed based on the degree of deviation of the passing time from the normal range.

  Also, in automatic teller machines and copiers, maintenance staff perform maintenance work to check whether the value of the friction coefficient is within a predetermined range by cleaning the rubber rollers and the conveyor belt at predetermined intervals. Yes.

JP 2005-206307 A

As described above, the current maintenance work is performed in accordance with a predetermined manual every predetermined period.
This is because a method for determining whether or not cleaning is necessary has not been established at present, and it is impossible to extract a roller or a conveyor belt that originally needs cleaning. For this reason, the amount of transaction during the period is small, and it is necessary to clean the rubber roller and the conveyor belt which do not need to be cleaned. This has been a factor that hinders the improvement of maintenance work efficiency and cost reduction.

  In addition, when a regular maintenance service system is not established, maintenance is required only when cleaning work is really necessary. However, such maintenance work can still be performed for the reasons described above. Absent.

  In order to perform efficient and low-cost maintenance work, it is necessary to accurately measure the degree of contamination of the rubber roller and the conveyor belt. However, the fault diagnosis method using a specific sensor as described in Patent Document 1 is difficult to make an accurate determination because the measurement range is easily distributed. In the case where the paper sheet being conveyed has various folds and rigidity, such as banknotes in an automatic teller machine, the diagnostic method based solely on the signal during the paper sheet transport operation is However, it is not clear what the correct standard is because the transport characteristics change due to differences in crease, rigidity, and friction coefficient of the paper sheet surface, and accurate fault diagnosis is impossible.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a paper sheet handling apparatus that can extract a rubber roller and a conveyor belt that really need cleaning, and that can improve the efficiency and cost of maintenance work.

  In the paper sheet handling apparatus for transporting paper sheets by transport means such as a rubber roller or a belt, the above-mentioned object is an evaluation medium for evaluating the dirt state of the transport means, and a feeding means for storing and feeding out the evaluation medium, Control means for controlling conveyance of the evaluation medium from the feeding means, detection means for detecting the conveyance state of the evaluation medium, determination means for determining deterioration of the rubber roller, belt, etc. from the conveyance state, and this determination means To provide a notification means for notifying the maintenance timing of the rubber roller or belt.

  Further, the above object is achieved by detecting the passing time and the passing timing of the evaluation medium in the transport state.

  Further, the above object is provided with a judging means for judging the transport characteristics after the paper jam removal work from the transport state, and a notice means for notifying the timing of the rework such as the jam removal work by the judgment means. Is achieved.

  In addition, in the paper sheet handling apparatus for transporting paper sheets by a transporting means such as a rubber roller or a belt, the object is to detect a transport state of the paper sheets transported by the transporting means, and the passage sensor. A control unit that calculates a fluctuation value of the paper sheet using a signal from the input, a determination unit that determines deterioration of the rubber roller or the belt from the fluctuation value, and a maintenance timing of the rubber roller or belt from the determination unit. This is achieved by providing a notification means for notification.

  Further, the above object is to evaluate the dirt state of the rubber roller and belt in the maintenance system of the paper sheet handling device that conveys and processes paper sheets such as automatic teller machines and copying machines by means of rubber rollers and belts. A uniform evaluation medium determined in advance, means for storing and feeding out the evaluation medium, and control for transporting the entire evaluation apparatus or a part of the apparatus at a predetermined timing and timing Means, detection means for detecting a transport state such as a passing time and a passage timing of the evaluation medium to be transported, and a transport means such as a rubber roller or a transport belt based on the transport state signal data detected by the detection means. Judgment means for judging characteristic deterioration, and if the judgment means judges that maintenance work such as cleaning is necessary, it is necessary to confirm that maintenance work is necessary. It is achieved by providing the notification means for notifying to.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a paper sheet handling apparatus that can extract a rubber roller or a conveyor belt that really needs cleaning, and that can improve the efficiency and cost of maintenance work.

First, a general reflux automatic teller machine will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a bill processing mechanism in a reflux cash automatic transaction apparatus.
Note that the reflux cash automatic transaction apparatus is an automatic cash transaction apparatus that uses a banknote deposited by a user as a withdrawal banknote to another user, and a banknote handling mechanism is a banknote deposited by the user. It is a mechanism for processing banknotes to be withdrawn.

  In FIG. 1, the banknote handling mechanism 2 includes a deposit / withdrawal port 3 for receiving a banknote deposited or withdrawn by a user. Reference numeral 4 denotes a discrimination unit that performs authenticity determination, denomination determination, and the like of bills conveyed one by one from the deposit / withdrawal port 3. Reference numeral 5 denotes a temporary stacker for temporarily storing deposited banknotes. 6 is a reflux storage for storing the deposited banknotes for each denomination. 7 is a rejection store for storing banknotes that are not used as withdrawal banknotes among the banknotes deposited. Reference numeral 8 denotes a loading and collecting container used for loading and collecting banknotes in the banknote handling mechanism 2. Reference numeral 9 denotes a transport mechanism that transports bills between these units.

In each of the above units and the transport mechanism, a passage sensor 10 is provided for detecting whether or not a bill has been transported normally. In general, an optical sensor is used as a passage sensor, and the passage of light from the light projecting side to the light receiving side is shielded by the passage of the bill, and the passage of the bill is detected by detecting this light shielding signal. Moreover, in the said banknote processing mechanism 2, in order to perform the deposit / withdrawal transaction operation | movement of a banknote, the control part 11 which controls operation | movement of each unit in the said banknote processing mechanism and a conveyance mechanism is provided, and the signal from the passage sensor 10 is provided. Is sent to the controller 11 through the signal line 12.
Reference numeral 200 denotes a pilot medium storage mechanism described later.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the cash automatic transaction apparatus 1, not only the banknote processing mechanism 2 but also the operation of other devices housed in the cash automatic transaction apparatus such as the passbook printer 1P, the display device 1D, and the card processing mechanism 1C. A main control device 13 is provided for controlling the above. The banknote handling mechanism 2 is controlled by being transmitted from the main control device 13 to the control unit 11 of the banknote handling mechanism through the signal line 12.

  Next, operation | movement of a banknote processing function is demonstrated in order using FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the banknote handling mechanism showing the flow of banknotes in order.
In FIG. 3, in the banknote processing mechanism 2, banknotes inserted by a user at the time of depositing are separated and fed out one by one at the deposit / withdrawal port 3 and conveyed to the discrimination unit 4. Banknotes for which authenticity determination or denomination determination is made by the discrimination unit 4 are accumulated in the temporary stacker 5. Banknotes for which authenticity determination or denomination determination cannot be made by the discrimination unit 4 are conveyed as they are to the deposit / withdrawal port 3 and returned to the user. Note that a guide mechanism 9G (shown in FIG. 1) for switching the banknote transport direction called a gate is provided at the branch portion of the transport mechanism 9 (the above is a deposit counting operation).

  After the amount counted by the discrimination unit 4 is displayed on the display device 1D (shown in FIG. 2) of the automatic teller machine 1, when the user presses the confirmation button, the transaction is established and the banknotes accumulated in the temporary stacker 5 Are fed out one by one again, and again pass through the discrimination unit 4 and accumulated in the reflux box 6 for each denomination. At this time, banknotes of denominations that are not recirculated and banknotes that are judged to be unsuitable as withdrawal banknotes are accumulated in the reject box 7 (shown in FIG. 1) (this is the depositing and storing operation).

  When the user performs a withdrawal process, the number of banknotes corresponding to the amount specified by the user is separated and fed out from the return box 6 one by one and conveyed to the deposit / withdrawal port 3 through the discrimination unit 5. And accumulated (the above is a withdrawal operation).

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a banknote separating mechanism that separates and feeds banknotes one by one at the deposit / withdrawal port 3 or the reflux cabinet 6 described above.
FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the banknote separating function provided with an embodiment of the present invention.
4, in the banknote separating mechanism 100 shown in FIG. 3, a pick-up roller 102 serving as a feeding unit that applies a feeding force to the uppermost banknote 101 </ b> A of the stacked banknotes 101 when being fed, and a conveying force to the fed banknotes. A feed roller 103 as a conveying means for applying a sheet, a gate roller 104 as a conveying resistance means for applying a conveyance resistance force to the banknote to prevent a plurality of banknotes from being simultaneously drawn out, and a banknote fed out one by one Are further comprised of a transport roller 105 for transporting the bills to the downstream side, a stacking base 106 for stacking the stacked bills, and a push plate 107 having a function of pressing the bills 101 against the pickup roller 102 during separation.

  The pickup roller 102 and the feed roller 103 have high friction portions 102A and 103A, part of the outer periphery of which is made of a rubber material. Have been adjusted to be. In addition, the peripheral speed of the outer peripheral portion of the pickup roller 102 and the peripheral speed of the outer peripheral portion of the feed roller 103 are approximately the same. Further, the pickup roller 102 and the feed roller 103 are configured to rotate synchronously when driving force is transmitted from a driving source (not shown) by a driving mechanism including a gear, a belt, etc. (not shown). These pickup roller 102 and feed roller 103 are driven so as to be rotatable in both directions. For example, when the drive source is a stepping motor, the rotation direction is changed by designating the rotation direction of the stepping motor by the control unit. Further, the entire circumference of the gate roller 104 is made of a rubber material in order to impart a conveyance resistance to the bill.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the banknote transport mechanism.
In FIG. 5, the banknote transport mechanism in this embodiment is hung by a transport roller 9B, a driven roller 9R that is in contact with the belt 9B at a winding angle, a driving roller 9D that applies a driving force to the transport belt 9B, and a transport belt 9B. It consists of a driven roller 9F and a conveyance guide 9A for guiding conveyance of banknotes. The conveyor belt 9B is driven by a drive source (not shown). The maximum conveyance force of the banknote in the conveyance mechanism 9 is substantially represented by the product of the tension and the winding angle of the conveyance belt and the coefficient of friction between the conveyance belt and the banknote.

  Since the banknote handling mechanism feeds, stacks, and transports a large number of banknotes, during the long-term use, for example, the above-described high-friction portions and gate rollers of the pickup roller 102 and the feed roller 103, the transport belt 9B in the transport mechanism 9, On the surface of the driven roller 9R, bill ink or paper dust adheres and the friction coefficient decreases. When the friction coefficient of these rollers and belts decreases, the force for conveying the banknotes and the conveyance resistance force applied to the banknotes decrease, and desired performance cannot be obtained. For this reason, at the time of maintenance work performed every predetermined period, a staff member cleans the rubber surface with alcohol or the like so as to obtain a desired frictional force.

  However, since this cleaning work is performed regardless of the transaction volume of banknotes, it may be performed automatically even though there is no need for cleaning, and it is difficult to improve the efficiency and cost of maintenance work. It is said. In addition, overseas, there is a problem that the maintenance service network is not sufficient, and there is a problem that maintenance technicians are not sufficient, and there is a need to display some work instructions when cleaning work is really necessary. .

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and as a result of various investigations of a transaction apparatus capable of giving work instructions when maintenance work efficiency improvement and cost reduction and cleaning work is really necessary, the following implementation An example was obtained.

  When this embodiment is described with reference to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a plurality of pilot media P that are transported through the modules and the transport mechanism of the banknote processing mechanism 2 are built in the banknote processing mechanism 2 shown in FIG. A pilot medium storage mechanism 200 is provided.

  The pilot medium P in this embodiment has the same size, thickness, and rigidity as those of banknotes (to be referred to as simulated banknotes). Further, the friction coefficient between the rubber roller and the conveyor belt inside the pilot medium storage mechanism 200 is also substantially the same material. The pilot medium P is preferably, for example, a resin material whose base material is a plastic sheet so that the above-described physical property values do not change greatly even when the medium is transported or stored for a long time. If each physical property value changes greatly, for example, the passage time of bills, the arrival time between sensors, and the skew (tilt) values change, so that the Mahalanobis distance value (for example, passage time of bills, The arrival time between sensors, the value of skew (tilt), etc.) changes, and accurate evaluation cannot be performed.

  In this embodiment, in order to obtain a change with time of the banknote handling mechanism 2, a medium used for conveyance should be the same and a change with little change with time should be adopted.

  The operation of the present embodiment will be described. When a predetermined operation time comes, the pilot medium P is fed out one by one from the pilot medium storage mechanism 200 and first transported to the temporary stacker 5. Thereafter, it is transported from the temporary stacker 5 to the lowest reflux box 6A in the same manner as when depositing and storing. In general, this operation is desirably performed when there is no banknote in the banknote handling mechanism 2, but a predetermined number of pilot media are conveyed even when the banknote is present in the reflux cabinet 6. Therefore, there is no problem. The most suitable time for performing this operation is in the morning before the automatic teller machine 1 is started up and before the banknotes are loaded into the apparatus or after the banknotes are collected from the automatic teller machine 1 in the afternoon. This is because, in particular, after banknote collection, even if maintenance is necessary, maintenance can be performed even during a period of suspension of the apparatus, so that there is no inconvenience to the user.

Next, the pilot medium P is conveyed from the reflux box 6 to the deposit / withdrawal port 3 in the same manner as when dispensing. At the deposit / withdrawal port 3, the forgetting / collecting operation is performed, and the pilot medium P is sent to the depositing unit, and then conveyed again to the temporary stacker 5 in the same manner as when depositing. And it is conveyed to the recirculation | reflux store | warehouse | chamber 6B different from the recirculation | refrigeration store | warehouse 6A previously.
As described above, after the pilot medium P is transported through the modules inside the bill processing mechanism 2, the pilot medium P is transported to the pilot medium storage mechanism 200 and stored again.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the pilot medium storage mechanism for explaining the present embodiment.
In FIG. 6, in this pilot medium storage mechanism 200, a pick-up roller 202 as a feeding means for applying a feeding force to the uppermost medium 201A of the stored pilot medium P at the time of feeding, and conveying force to the fed pilot medium. A feed roller 203 as a conveying means for applying, a gate roller 204 as a conveying resistance means for applying a conveyance resistance force to the medium to prevent simultaneous delivery of a plurality of pilot media, and a pilot fed out one by one A transport roller 205 for transporting the medium further downstream, a push plate 206 having a function of loading the pilot medium to be stored and pressing it against the pickup roller 202 at the time of separation, and transport of the medium when storing the pilot medium Stack guide 207 having a function of performing guidance Et al constructed.

  The pickup roller 202 and the feed roller 203 have high friction portions 202A and 203A, part of the outer periphery of which is made of a rubber material. The phase of these high friction portions has no problem with the pilot medium during feeding. It is adjusted to be paid out. In addition, the peripheral speed of the outer peripheral portion of the pickup roller 202 and the peripheral speed of the outer peripheral portion of the feed roller 203 are substantially the same. Further, the pickup roller 202 and the feed roller 203 are configured to rotate in synchronization with a driving force transmitted from a driving source (not shown) by a driving mechanism (not shown) such as a gear or a belt. These pickup roller 202 and feed roller 203 are driven to be rotatable in both directions. For example, when the drive source is a stepping motor, the rotation direction is changed by designating the rotation direction of the stepping motor by a control unit (not shown).

FIG. 7 is a side view of the pilot medium storage mechanism for explaining the present embodiment.
In FIG. 7, the stack guide 207 is configured to be swingable about the rotation shaft 208 of the feed roller 203, and when the pilot medium is stored, the medium is conveyed and guided to the accumulation space, and the pilot medium is fed out. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, it can be retreated to a position that does not hinder the feeding. The retracting operation of the stack guide 207 is performed by, for example, a link mechanism (not shown) connected to the stack guide 207 and a driving source.

  The above-described gate roller 204 is a roller whose entire circumference is made of a rubber material. This roller is attached to the shaft 208 via a one-way clutch, so that it does not rotate in the medium feeding direction but is rotatable in the medium storing direction. The same shaft 208 as the gate roller 204 is provided with a sheet roller 209 that secures an accumulation space by hitting the medium when the pilot medium is stored. The sheet roller 209 has a configuration in which there is no sheet in a certain phase portion, and the sheet roller 209 can be retracted to a position that does not hinder the feeding of the pilot medium.

  When the pilot medium P described above is transported, a passage sensor 10 (shown in FIG. 1) provided in each unit or transport mechanism for detecting whether or not a bill has been transported normally detects the passage of the pilot medium. As shown in FIG. 1, the signal from the passage sensor 10 is sent to the control unit 11 through the signal line 12, where the length of the medium, the skew, the transport pitch, the fluctuation value of these values between the sensors, and the like. Calculated.

  In this embodiment, the Mahalanobis distance is calculated for each unit using these calculated values, and it is determined whether cleaning is necessary. Methods for calculating this Mahalanobis distance are described in commercially available literature. The Mahalanobis distance calculated during the first operation in which the pilot medium P is transported is the basis. At this time, the square value of the Mahalanobis distance is 1.

  After the bill is transported for a predetermined period, the Mahalanobis distance value calculated by transporting the pilot medium gradually changes and becomes larger. As described above, during the long-term use, for example, the high friction portion of the pickup roller 102 and the feed roller 103, the gate roller, the surface of the transport belt 9B and the driven roller 9R in the transport mechanism 9 are This is because the ink of paper money or paper dust adheres and the friction coefficient decreases. Due to the decrease in the friction coefficient of the roller and belt, the force for transporting the bill and the transport resistance force applied to the bill are reduced, and the calculated media length, skew, transport pitch, and these between each sensor 10 are calculated. Fluctuation values etc. change or vary.

  The calculated Mahalanobis distance is obtained in advance as a value when actual bill processing cannot be performed sufficiently. This can be obtained, for example, by transporting the pilot medium P and calculating the Mahalanobis distance using an automatic teller machine that has become problematic after being used for a long time. If the threshold value of the Mahalanobis distance, which is obtained in advance in the Mahalanobis calculation operation as described above and is about to cause a failure, the control unit 11 generates a control signal for displaying for a cleaning operation instruction. By this signal, the main control device 13 displays on the display device 1D that the cleaning work is necessary, and notifies the operator and staff. FIG. 8 is a flowchart summarizing the present embodiment.

In FIG. 8, at the initial operation of the apparatus in step 101 or immediately after maintenance / cleaning operation, a predetermined number of pilot media are conveyed from step 102, and in step 103, the reference Mahalanobis distance of the pilot medium is calculated. Whether the Mahalanobis distance calculated in step 107 is greater than or equal to the threshold after the predetermined number of pilot media are transported in step 105 and the Mahalanobis distance is calculated in step 106 after the paper sheet processing mechanism is operated for a predetermined period in step 104 If it is less than the threshold value, the process returns to step 104. If it is equal to or greater than the threshold value, a control signal for instructing a cleaning operation is issued at step 108.

  It is determined from the position of the passage sensor 10 used for calculating the Mahalanobis distance which unit needs to be cleaned and maintained. For example, when calculating the contamination of each roller of the depositing unit 3A, the value of the passage sensor 10 provided immediately downstream of the depositing unit 3A may be used (a plurality is desirable). Further, in order to calculate the Mahalanobis distance, it is desirable that the number of pilot media to be transported is 100 or more in the first operation as a reference space.

  In the present embodiment, the pilot medium to be used preferably has the same physical properties as the banknotes, but a plurality of types having different physical properties may be used. However, these pilot media are required to have the same Mahalanobis distance when the bill processing mechanism is transported at an initial stage or immediately after cleaning. However, when the Mahalanobis distance is calculated using three types of pilot media, that is, P1 whose transport performance is relatively easily deteriorated as the banknote handling mechanism 2 is used, P3 which is moderate, and P3 whose transport characteristics are not so deteriorated. It is possible to evaluate the degree of contamination of each module with relatively simple dynamic characteristics.

  This display may be performed at the maintenance service center 15 via the line 16 connecting the automatic teller machine 1 and the maintenance service center 15 as shown in FIG. When this display is made at the maintenance service center 15, the maintenance staff goes to the location of the corresponding automatic teller machine and performs maintenance work such as cleaning. By adopting such a maintenance system, it is possible to clean the apparatus when it is really necessary, so that the efficiency of maintenance work can be improved and the cost can be reduced.

  In the first embodiment, an example in which the pilot medium P is transported to detect dirt on the rubber roller or the transport belt has been shown. However, for example, a jam occurs in the banknote handling mechanism, and the pilot medium P is transported after performing this recovery operation. Thus, it can also be used as a means for confirming completion of jam recovery work. This operation is shown below.

After the jam removal operation is completed, the pilot medium P is fed one by one from the pilot medium storage mechanism 200 according to a predetermined program, and is conveyed to the place where the jam has occurred. As an example, after the banknote jam occurs between the temporary stacker 5 and the discrimination unit 4 and the recovery operation is performed, the banknote is conveyed to the temporary stacker 5. Thereafter, the paper is transported from the temporary stacker 5 to the pilot medium storage mechanism 200. This operation controls the operation by determining where the control unit 11 transports banknotes based on error information generated when a jam is detected.

  When the pilot medium P described above is transported, a passage sensor 10 provided in each unit or transport mechanism for detecting whether or not a bill has been transported normally detects the passage of the pilot medium. A signal from the passage sensor 10 is sent to the control unit 11 through the signal line 12, where the length of the medium, the skew, the transport pitch, and the fluctuation value of these values between the sensors are calculated.

Thereafter, the Mahalanobis distance is calculated for each unit using these calculated values. If the Mahalanobis distance calculated at this time is far greater than the reference value, the control unit 11 determines that the restoration work is insufficient and generates a signal indicating that the restoration work is confirmed again. . Insufficient restoration work means that pieces of jammed banknotes remain or adjustment of the transport mechanism is insufficient. If the restoration work is insufficient, the jam may recur at the same location. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to easily confirm the restoration work.

  In the first embodiment, an example in which the pilot medium storage mechanism 200 is used in the bill processing mechanism 2 has been shown. However, in this embodiment, the pilot medium P that the maintenance personnel bring or store separately during regular maintenance work is shown. This is an example in which the Mahalanobis distance calculation work is performed.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, first, the pilot medium P is inserted and conveyed from the depositing unit 3 </ b> A in the same manner as the depositing operation, and the pilot medium P is conveyed to the temporary stacker 5. Thereafter, the pilot medium is transported to the reflux cabinet 6 in the same manner as the deposit storage. Thereafter, the pilot medium is transported to the withdrawal unit 3B in the same manner as the withdrawal. By performing these operations for each reflux cabinet, it is possible to calculate the Mahalanobis distance of each unit of the banknote handling mechanism 2 and the transport mechanism.

  In this case, the work cannot be performed directly from the maintenance service center 15. However, as another method, for example, when the bank clerk periodically performs loading and collection, the clerk uses the pilot medium P in the loading and collecting box 8 used for loading and collecting banknotes in the automatic teller machine 1. Can be set in advance, and the Mahalanobis distance can be calculated by transporting the pilot medium P before loading and collecting banknotes.

In this case, the pilot medium is transported from the loading / recovery storage 8 to the reflux storage 6, and then transported to the withdrawal port 3B, so that the pilot medium is transported and the Mahalanobis distance is calculated in the same manner as shown in the first embodiment. To do. The most desirable work is considered to be before the loading of banknotes in which no banknote is present inside the automatic teller machine 1, but it is possible even immediately before the banknotes are collected.

  As another embodiment, there is a method in which a mechanism for storing the pilot medium P is not provided specially and is set in the temporary stacker 5 in advance. In this case, the pilot medium P is not transported during general banknote transaction processing. When performing the work of calculating the Mahalanobis distance, the pilot medium P is transported in the same manner as in the first embodiment, such as from the temporary stacker 5 to the recirculation cabinet 6 and further to the withdrawal port 3B. Return to the temporary stacker 5.

  In Examples 1 and 2 described above, the Mahalanobis distance was used as an index for examining dirt on the rubber roller and the conveyor belt. According to this method, it is possible to grasp with high accuracy a signal from a plurality of passing sensors and an event that is difficult to understand only by a deviation from the normal range and a signal from a single passing sensor.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, an example of detecting dirt on a rubber roller or a conveyor belt using the pilot medium P has been described. In this embodiment, a method using no pilot medium will be described.

  As described above, in a medium in which the paper sheet to be transported has various folds and rigidity such as banknotes in the automatic teller machine, in the diagnosis based on the signal during the paper sheet transport operation, It is not clear what the correct standard is because the conveyance characteristics change due to differences in the folding, the rigidity of the paper sheet, the friction coefficient of the paper sheet surface, etc., and accurate fault diagnosis is impossible. Therefore, in order to suppress these influences, signal information based on a large number of conveyance state detection signals is required. However, in the detection of dirt on the rubber roller or the conveyor belt simply based on the detection signal of the banknote conveyance state, the detection accuracy becomes a problem.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, a detection means for detecting the surface state of the detection target rubber roller and the conveyance belt is provided, and the contamination of the rubber roller and the conveyance belt is detected together with information from the detection means.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a banknote separating mechanism provided with another embodiment.
In FIG. 10, 100 is the banknote separating mechanism shown in FIG. 4 which separates and feeds out banknotes one by one at the deposit / withdrawal port 3 or the reflux cabinet 6. An embodiment in which a reflective optical sensor 301 for detecting the surface states of the pickup roller 102 and the feed roller 103 is provided will be described. The reflection-type optical sensor 301 detects a change in the surface state of the high friction portions 102A and 103A made of a rubber material provided on part of the outer periphery of the pickup roller 102 and the feed roller 103 with reflected light. Usually, when ink or paper powder adheres to the surface of a rubber material, the reflected light of the light increases. A detection signal from the reflective optical sensor 301 is sent to the control unit 11 via a signal line (not shown).

  When a predetermined operation time is reached in accordance with a predetermined program, the control unit 11 feeds out banknotes one by one from the banknote loading / recovery box 8 and first transports them to the temporary stacker 5. Thereafter, it is transported from the temporary stacker 5 to the lowest reflux box 6A in the same manner as when depositing and storing. This operation is desirably performed when there is no banknote in the banknote handling mechanism 2, but even if the banknote is present in the reflux cabinet 6, it is particularly preferable if a predetermined number of banknotes are conveyed. No problem. The most suitable time for performing this operation is in the morning before the automatic teller machine 1 is started up and the banknotes are loaded into the apparatus or after the banknotes are collected from the afternoon automatic teller machine 1. In particular, after banknote collection, if maintenance is necessary, maintenance can be performed during a period of suspension of the apparatus, which is advantageous in that it does not inconvenience the user.

  Next, the banknote is conveyed from the reflux box 6 to the deposit / withdrawal port 3 in the same manner as when withdrawing. At the deposit / withdrawal port 3, the forgetting / collecting operation is performed, and the banknotes are sent to the depositing unit, and then conveyed again to the temporary stacker 5 in the same manner as when depositing. Then, it is transported to the previous loading / recovery box 8.

  When the banknote is transported as described above, a passage sensor 10 provided in each unit or transport mechanism for detecting whether or not the banknote has been transported normally detects the passage of the banknote. A signal from the passage sensor 10 is sent to the control unit 11 through the signal line 12, where the length of the medium, the skew, the transport pitch, and the fluctuation value of these values between the sensors are calculated.

  In this embodiment, using these calculated values, the Mahalanobis distance is calculated for each unit, and it is determined whether cleaning is necessary. Methods for calculating this Mahalanobis distance are described in commercially available literature. The Mahalanobis distance calculated at the time of the first operation | movement which this banknote is conveyed becomes fundamental. At this time, the square value of the Mahalanobis distance is 1.

  After the bill is transported for a predetermined period, the Mahalanobis distance value calculated by transporting the pilot medium gradually changes and becomes larger. As described above, during the long-term use, for example, the high friction portion of the pickup roller 102 and the feed roller 103, the gate roller, the surface of the transport belt 9B and the driven roller 9R in the transport mechanism 9 are This is because the ink of paper money or paper dust adheres and the friction coefficient decreases. Due to the decrease in the friction coefficient of the roller and belt, the force for transporting the bill and the transport resistance force applied to the bill are reduced, and the calculated media length, skew, transport pitch, and these between each sensor 10 are calculated. Fluctuation values etc. change or vary.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the Mahalanobis distance and the sensor signal.
In FIG. 11, the calculated Mahalanobis distance is obtained in advance as a value when actual bill processing cannot be performed sufficiently. This can be obtained by, for example, using a cash automatic transaction apparatus that has been used for a long time to cause a problem and transporting banknotes and calculating the Mahalanobis distance. In the Mahalanobis calculation operation as described above, the control unit 11 generates a flag signal when the Mahalanobis distance, which is obtained in advance and becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value Ls of the Mahalanobis distance immediately before the occurrence of the malfunction, is reached.

  The Mahalanobis distance used in this case is an average value of the Mahalanobis distance of the entire conveyed bill. Of course, this may be another index. Next, the control unit 11 reads the detection signal from the reflective optical sensor 301. The detection signal from this optical sensor is also obtained in advance as a value when actual bill processing cannot be sufficiently performed, and the threshold value Vs is recorded in the control unit 11. When the detected detection signal from the reflective optical sensor 301 exceeds the threshold value Vs, the control unit 11 generates a control signal for performing a display for instructing the cleaning operation. The Mahalanobis distance at this time and the position indicated by the detection signal from the optical sensor are shaded portions shown in FIG. By this signal, the main control device 13 displays on the display device 1D that the cleaning work is necessary and notifies the operator and staff.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart summarizing the above-described determination methods.

  In this embodiment, the reflection type optical sensor is used as the means for detecting the surface condition of the rubber material. However, this means may be other means such as a means for measuring the friction coefficient of the surface. Of course.

  According to this embodiment, it is possible to detect dirt with high detection accuracy without using a special pilot medium.

As described above, the present invention
1. In a paper sheet handling apparatus for transporting paper sheets by a transporting means such as a rubber roller or a belt, an evaluation medium for evaluating the contamination state of the transporting means, a feeding means for storing and feeding out the evaluation medium, and from the feeding means Control means for controlling conveyance of the evaluation medium, detection means for detecting the conveyance state of the evaluation medium, determination means for determining deterioration of the rubber roller, belt, etc. from the conveyance state, and from the determination means, the rubber roller and And a notification means for notifying the maintenance timing of the belt.
2. The transport state is such that the passage time and passage timing of the evaluation medium are detected.
3. Judgment means for judging the conveyance characteristics after the jam removal work of the paper sheets from the conveyance state, and notification means for notifying the timing of rework such as jam removal work by this judgment means are provided.
4). In a paper sheet handling apparatus that transports paper sheets by transport means such as rubber rollers and belts, a passage sensor that detects the transport state of the paper sheets transported by the transport means and a signal from the passage sensor as inputs A control unit that calculates a variation value of the paper sheet, a determination unit that determines deterioration of the rubber roller and the belt from the variation value, and a notification unit that notifies the maintenance timing of the rubber roller and the belt from the determination unit. It is provided.
5). In a maintenance system for a paper sheet handling apparatus that processes paper sheets of automatic teller machines, copying machines, etc. by means of rubber rollers, belts, etc., it is predetermined to evaluate the dirt state of the rubber rollers and belts. A uniform evaluation medium, a means for storing and feeding out the evaluation medium, and a control means for conveying the entire evaluation apparatus or a part of the apparatus at a predetermined timing or timing. Based on detection means for detecting the conveyance state such as the passage time and passage timing of the evaluation medium and the signal data of the conveyance state detected by the detection means, determination for judging deterioration in characteristics of the conveyance means such as a rubber roller and a conveyance belt And a notifier for notifying staff members and users that maintenance work is necessary when the judgment means determines that maintenance work such as cleaning is necessary. In which the provided.

It is a block diagram of the banknote processing mechanism as one Example of this invention. It is a block diagram of the automatic teller machine as one Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the flow of the banknote in a banknote processing mechanism. It is explanatory drawing of the banknote separation mechanism as one Example. It is explanatory drawing of the banknote conveyance mechanism as one Example. It is explanatory drawing (at the time of isolation | separation) of the pilot medium storage mechanism as one Example. It is explanatory drawing (at the time of accommodation) of the pilot medium accommodation mechanism as one Example. It is a flow figure for judging whether cleaning work is required. It is explanatory drawing of the maintenance system as one Example of this invention. It is banknote separation mechanism explanatory drawing as one Example. It is a figure explaining the relationship between Mahalanobis distance and a sensor signal. It is a flow figure for judging whether cleaning work is required.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Automatic cash transaction apparatus, 2 ... Banknote processing mechanism, 3 ... Deposit / withdrawal port, 4 ... Discrimination part, 5 ... Temporary stacker, 6 ... Reflux store, 7 ... Reject store, 8 ... Loading collection store, 9 ... Transport mechanism, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Pass sensor, 11 ... Control part, 12 ... Signal line, 13 ... Main control apparatus, 15 ... Maintenance service center,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 ... Line | wire, 1D ... Display apparatus, 200 ... Pilot medium accommodation mechanism, 201 ... Pilot medium, 301 ... Reflection type optical sensor.

Claims (5)

In the paper sheet handling device that transports paper sheets by transport means such as rubber rollers and belts,
An evaluation medium for evaluating the contamination state of the conveying means, a feeding means for storing and feeding out the evaluation medium, a control means for controlling the conveyance of the evaluation medium from the feeding means, and detecting the conveying state of the evaluation medium A paper sheet comprising: a detection unit; a determination unit that determines deterioration of the rubber roller or the belt from the conveyance state; and a notification unit that notifies the maintenance timing of the rubber roller or the belt from the determination unit. Handling equipment. In the paper sheet handling apparatus according to claim 1,
The paper sheet handling apparatus is characterized in that the transport state detects a passage time, a passage timing, and the like of the evaluation medium. In the paper sheet handling apparatus according to claim 1,
A paper having a judging means for judging a transport characteristic after the jam removal work for the paper sheets from the transport state, and a notice means for notifying a timing of a rework such as a jam removal work by the judgment means. Leaf handling equipment. In the paper sheet handling device that transports paper sheets by transport means such as rubber rollers and belts,
A passage sensor that detects a transport state of the paper sheet transported by the transport means, a control unit that calculates a variation value of the paper sheet by inputting a signal from the passage sensor, and the rubber roller or A paper sheet handling apparatus comprising a judging means for judging deterioration of a belt or the like and a notifying means for notifying the maintenance timing of the rubber roller or belt from the judging means. In the maintenance system of the paper sheet handling device that conveys and processes paper sheets such as automatic teller machines and copying machines by means such as rubber rollers and belts,
Uniform evaluation medium predetermined for evaluating the dirt state of the rubber roller and belt, means for storing and feeding out the evaluation medium, and the entire apparatus at a predetermined time and timing, Alternatively, based on the control means for conveying a part of the apparatus, the detection means for detecting the conveyance state such as the passage time and passage timing of the evaluation medium to be conveyed, and the signal data of the conveyance state detected by the detection means, Judgment means for judging the deterioration of the characteristics of the conveying means such as rubber rollers and conveying belts, and if it is judged that maintenance work such as cleaning is necessary by the judging means, informs staff and users that maintenance work is necessary. A maintenance system for a paper sheet handling apparatus, characterized in that a notification means is provided.

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