JP2010033380A - Self-checkout terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To receive a plurality of coins in a lump, and to prevent any foreign matter from entering a coin depositing and dispensing device when used by a customer while maintaining operating efficiency of a coin replenishing operation to the coin depositing and dispensing device where coins are deposited in a lump by a store clerk using a coin feeder which delivering each of coins. <P>SOLUTION: The front face of a housing (third housing 402) of a settlement operation unit 401 is provided with a slit for receiving one coin. A coin depositing and dispensing device 405 handling coins by cash settlement in a self-checkout terminal 101 is built in the housing. A coin feeder 501 for receiving a plurality of coins in a lump, and for discharging each of the coins is mounted in the housing. Thus, the customer deposits coins into the housing only by through the slit. On the other hand, it is possible for the store clerk to deposit a plurality of coins in a lump to the coin feeder 501 inside the housing which can be accessed only by the store clerk. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-checkout apparatus that is installed in a store such as a supermarket and that allows a customer to perform an operation by himself / herself to checkout (settlement) a purchased product.

  In stores such as supermarkets, a self-checkout terminal is introduced in which a customer can check out (settlement) purchased products by himself / herself. The self-checkout device includes a banknote deposit / withdrawal device and a coin deposit / withdrawal device, and these devices enable cash checkout. The housing of the self-checkout terminal is provided with a coin slot that communicates with the coin depositing section of the coin depositing / dispensing device, and the customer can insert coins into the coin depositing / dispensing device by inserting coins from this coin slot. You can make a deposit and checkout the purchased product with cash.

  The coin slot of the self-checkout terminal connected to the coin depositing / dispensing part of the coin depositing / dispensing device is usually a slit shape that allows passage of one coin. However, it is more convenient for a customer who uses a self-checkout terminal to insert a plurality of coins in a lump than to insert coins one by one from a slit. In addition, for a store clerk, if a coin replenishment operation for replenishing coins paid out as change or the like to the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus can be performed, if a plurality of coins can be put in at once, the work efficiency is increased. In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a plurality of coins that are disposed on the back side of the front panel of an operation unit such as a vending machine, a money changer, and a coin locker, and that are batch-inserted from a coin slot that opens in a semicircle shape on the front panel. A coin feeder (in Patent Document 1, “Paint Document 1”) that receives coins, agitates by rotation of a rotating disk, separates them one by one by a slit portion, and sends them to a coin deposit and withdrawal device (“coin processing unit” in Patent Document 1). The invention of a coin lump-in device ") is described.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-200955 (paragraph numbers 0021 to 0029, FIGS. 1, 2 and 5)

  In the first place, why is a normal self-checkout terminal provided with a slit so that only one coin can be inserted at a time? The coin deposit / withdrawal device, which handles coins in the self-checkout terminal, has a function to discriminate coins of various denominations that are deposited, and stores them sorted by denomination and is built into the self-checkout terminal. A predetermined amount of coins is paid out in accordance with a coin payout command from an information processing unit such as a controller. In addition, the coin deposit / withdrawal device discriminates the authenticity of the received coins, considering that forged coins (fake coins) other than the coins (genuine coins) that are regularly distributed in each country will be deposited. It is necessary to have a function to eliminate fake coins. Coin denomination and true / false discrimination is performed by detecting the material electromagnetically or measuring the shape such as diameter for each coin. When authenticity is identified, coins must be separated one by one. For this reason, when it is going to implement | achieve the batch injection | throwing-in of the several coin with respect to a coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus, the coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus isolate | separates and conveys the inserted coin one by one (henceforth, separation conveyance mechanism) As a result, the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus becomes large and the mechanism becomes complicated.

  Therefore, if it is known in advance that coins will be deposited one by one, the coin depositing and dispensing device does not need to be provided with a separation transport mechanism, and the coin depositing and dispensing device is reduced in size and simplified. This is thought to lead to an increase in the size of coins and the amount of coins used for change.

  In addition, there are countries that recommend that when a general customer puts coins into a coin deposit / withdrawal device according to the regulations of each country or industry, it is recommended to insert coins one by one from the coin slot. The coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus used in such a country is not provided with a separation / conveyance mechanism in the first place. For this reason, when introducing a self-checkout terminal in a store in such a country, the coins must be separated one by one at a stage before the coins are inserted into the coin depositing and dispensing device.

  Considering the above, it is convenient to provide a slit that allows passage of one coin in the housing of the self-checkout terminal so that only one coin can be inserted.

  In this regard, the self-checkout device described in Patent Document 1 has a large coin slot on the front panel that enables coins to be loaded all at once, thereby improving the efficiency of replenishing coins to the coin depositing and dispensing device by the store clerk. At the same time, it is possible to reduce the size and simplification of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus as described above by feeding coins that are input in a batch to the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus.

  However, in the self-checkout device described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that a customer may throw in foreign matter such as dust or dust from the insertion port by mistake or mischief. If foreign matter enters, troubles such as a failure are likely to occur in the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus.

  An object of the present invention is to maintain the work efficiency of a coin replenishment operation to a coin depositing / dispensing apparatus by a store clerk using a coin feeder that enables batch loading of a plurality of coins and separates and feeds the coins one by one. It is to prevent foreign matter from being mixed into the coin depositing and dispensing device that can be performed by the customer.

  The self-checkout terminal of the present invention includes a housing, a slit provided in the housing and allowing passage of one coin, a built-in housing, a coin depositing unit, a coin storage unit, and a coin dispensing unit. A vertical coin depositing / dispensing device that allows coins to be deposited one by one from the coin depositing unit, and dispenses coins in the coin storage unit from the coin dispensing unit, and passes through the slit. A coin having a first depositing structure for guiding coins to a coin depositing portion of the coin depositing / dispensing device, a coin receiving portion built in the housing, and capable of batch loading a plurality of coins, and inserted into the coin receiving portion A coin feeder that separates and discharges the coins one by one and the housing, and communicates the outside with the coin receiving portion of the coin depositing / dispensing device, so that a plurality of coins can be collectively input into the coin receiving portion from the outside Enable Comprising a communicating structure, and a second payment structure leading to the coin inlet unit coins discharged from the coin feeder.

  According to the present invention, a coin feeder that can throw coins into a housing that can only be reached by a store clerk is arranged, and a customer can throw coins into the housing only by passing through a slit. Coins that can be performed by customers while maintaining the work efficiency of the coin replenishment work to the coin depositing and dispensing device by batch loading of coins by a store clerk using a coin feeder that enables batch loading and separates and feeds coins one by one It is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the deposit / withdrawal device.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a self-checkout terminal 101. The self-checkout terminal 101 includes a registration operation unit 201, a scale unit 301, and a settlement operation unit 401 that are gathered together. Each of these units are connected to form a single overall housing 102. That is, the entire housing 102 includes a first block 102a that forms the registration operation unit 201, a second block 102b that forms a scale unit 301 adjacent to the first block 102a with the front face aligned, and a second block 102b. The third block 102c that rises from the rear of the block 102b and forms the settlement operation unit 401 is integrally formed.

  The registration operation unit 201 will be described with reference to FIG. The registration operation unit 201 includes a first housing 202 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The first housing 202 is formed so that the depth dimension is larger than the width dimension, a flat surface 202a is formed on the upper surface on the front side, and a slope that rises upward from the rear position and faces the front side. 202b is formed, and a flat surface 202c is also formed on the upper surface on the rear side. A warning pole 209 is erected on the flat surface 202c. When an error occurs in the self-checkout terminal 101, the warning pole 209 notifies the occurrence of the error by blinking or the like. Further, on the left side surface of the first housing 202, a product placing table 207 for placing a product to be purchased by a customer is projected.

  The registration operation unit 201 incorporates a scale (not shown) that places the weighing table 203 on the flat surface 202 a on the front side of the first housing 202. This scale is used to measure the weight of the product placed on the weighing table 203. In addition, a scanner 204 that optically reads a code symbol attached to a product held over a flat glass-like reading surface 204 a is disposed on the inclined surface 202 b of the first housing 202. Further, a display 205 is disposed on the inclined surface 202 b of the first housing 202 so as to be positioned above the scanner 204. The display 205 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and a touch panel 206 is laminated on the display surface.

  Next, the scale unit 301 will be described with reference to FIG. The scale unit 301 has a second housing 302 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The depth dimension of the second housing 302 is approximately half the depth dimension of the first housing 202 of the registration operation unit 201. The height dimension of the second housing 302 is about half of the height dimension of the flat surface 202 a on the front side of the first housing 202. The second housing 302 of the scale unit 301 has a built-in scale device (not shown) for disposing the weighing table 303 on the upper surface thereof. This weighing apparatus measures the weight of the product after the product code is read by the scanner 204, and performs a weight check process for determining whether the weight of the product matches the weight of the product read by the scanner 204. Used for. The weight check process is executed by a computer-configured controller (not shown) built in the scale unit 301. This controller also controls each part of the self-checkout terminal 101.

  A pair of bag hooks 306 are attached to the upper surface of the weighing table 303 so as to face each other. The bag hook 306 is formed by bending or welding a plurality of wires, and is used for setting an item bag (not shown) for storing a product to be purchased by a customer. . A hook portion 307 for hooking a pair of handles (not shown) provided on the item bag is formed on the upper portion of each bag hook 306. The item bag is maintained in an open state by the handle being hooked on the hook portion 307. In other words, the space between the pair of bag hooks 306 above the weighing table 303 is a product placement space in which the product after the product code is read by the scanner 204 is positioned in a state of being packed in an item bag. 308.

  The pair of bag hooks 306 are rotatably attached to the weighing table 303 and can be tilted toward the product placement space 308. A lever 306a is provided at the foot of the bag hook 306, and the store clerk pushes the lever 306a to move a holding mechanism (not shown) that holds the bag hook 306 upright. The bag hook 306 in the state can be tilted so as not to interfere with the opening and closing of the front panel 404.

  Next, the settlement operation unit 401 will be described with reference to FIG. The settlement operation unit 401 is used by being connected to the scale unit 301 in the front-rear direction, and has a third housing 402 having a tall rectangular parallelepiped shape. Here, the third housing 402 in the present embodiment corresponds to a “housing” in the claims. The width dimension of the third housing 402 is the same as the width dimension of the second housing 302 of the scale unit 301. The depth dimension of the third housing 402 is set so that the depth dimension in a state where the scale unit 301 and the settlement operation unit 401 are coupled substantially matches the depth dimension of the registration operation unit 201. The settlement operation unit 401 has a receipt printer 405 (see FIG. 2) on the inner right side of the third housing 402 and a bill depositing / dispensing device (not shown) on the lower left side of the third housing 402. (Not shown) are built in the upper left side of the third housing 402, respectively. This coin depositing / dispensing device 405 includes a coin depositing port 407 (see FIG. 2) as a coin depositing unit and a coin dispensing port 408 (see FIG. 2) as a coin dispensing unit, and a bill depositing / dispensing device is a bill depositing port (see FIG. 2). (Not shown) and a banknote outlet (not shown). In order to deposit / withdraw the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405, the front panel 404 has a slit 407a serving as a coin insertion unit communicating with the coin depositing port 407 and a tray 408a serving as a coin dispensing unit communicating with the coin dispensing port 408. And a communication port 409a that communicates with the banknote depositing port and a communication port 410a that communicates with the banknote dispensing port.

  The slit 407a provided in the front panel 404 is formed in a vertically long size so as to allow passage of one coin. From the slit 407a, coins can be put into the settlement operation unit 401 one by one, but a plurality of coins cannot be put together. The presence of the slit 407a prevents foreign matter such as dust from entering the settlement operation unit 401. The coin that has passed through the slit 407a falls to the deposit coin guide 452 (see FIG. 2) that connects the slit 407a and the coin deposit slot 407 by its own weight, and rolls along the deposit coin guide 452 by its own weight. It moves and is deposited into the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405. That is, the depositing coin guide 452 serves as the first depositing structure J1 that guides the coin that has passed through the slit 407a to the coin depositing port 407 of the coin depositing and dispensing device 405. The coin guide 452 for depositing also serves as a second depositing structure J2 that guides the coins discharged by the coin feeder 501 (FIGS. 2, 4, and 5) to the coin depositing port 407 of the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 405. Plays. This will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the front panel 404 is positioned in front of the first front panel 404a positioned in front of the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 and the bill depositing / dispensing device (not shown). 2 front panel 404b and a third front panel 404c positioned in front of a receipt printer (not shown). The slit 407a is disposed above the first front panel 404a, and the tray 408a is disposed below the slit 407a on the first front panel 404a. Further, the communication port 409a that communicates with the banknote depositing port is disposed above the second front panel 404b, and the communication port 410a that communicates with the banknote dispensing port is disposed below the communication port 409a on the second front panel 404b. Is done. Further, a receipt discharge port 412a that communicates with a receipt issue port (not shown) of the receipt printer is disposed on the third front panel 404c.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the settlement operation unit 401 in a state where only the first front panel 404a is opened and the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 is pulled out. The front surface of the third housing 402 constituting the settlement operation unit 401 is a front opening 450 corresponding to the “side opening” in the claims. The first front panel 404a, the second front panel 404b, and the third front panel 404c are all attached to the front opening 450 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis. The first front panel 404a, the second front panel 404b, and the third front panel 404c are all provided with locks 419a, 419b, and 419c, and can be locked with a key (not shown). It is like that.

  Both of the first front panel 404 a and the second front panel 404 b are located at a height close to the weighing table 303 of the weighing unit 301. For this reason, when the store clerk turns and opens the first front panel 404a and the second front panel 404b, the bag hanging 306 that is standing in advance on the upper surface of the scale unit 301 is in the state shown in FIG. It is necessary to defeat so.

  The coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 is built in the right side of the third housing 402 at a position covered only by the first front panel 404a. The coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 is configured by a coin storage machine 405a and a coin lifter 405b as a coin storage unit arranged side by side.

  The coin storage machine 405a has a coin deposit port 407 at the upper end and is offset from the slit 407a to the downstream side in the moving direction of the coin that rolls in the deposit coin guide 452 with its own weight. This coin storage machine 405a has a function of discriminating the denomination and authenticity of the coins deposited from the coin deposit port 407, and discharges the coins from the coin dispensing port 408 without storing the fake coins. Store in money type. In order to perform such denomination discrimination and true / false discrimination, it is recommended to deposit coins one by one into the coin deposit slot 407. Under such circumstances, the coin deposit port 407 provided in the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 405 is formed with a small opening so as not to allow a plurality of coins to be input at once but to allow coins to be deposited one by one. ing. Accordingly, the coin guide 452 for receipt of money plays a role of reliably guiding the coin that rolls and falls to the coin receipt port 407 formed with a small opening.

  Although the structure of the coin lifter 405b will be described later with reference to FIG. 3, the coin lifter 405b has a coin dispensing port 408 upward, and lifts the coins stored in the coin storage machine 405a and conveys them to the coin dispensing port 408. The upper end of the coin lifter 405b is positioned higher than the coin deposit port 407 of the coin storage machine 405a.

  Below this coin depositing and dispensing device 405, a rail body 451 as a slide mechanism is horizontally attached from the front surface of the settlement operation unit 401 to the back. Further, a rail receiving portion (not shown) shaped to be fitted to the rail body 451 is attached to the inside of the third housing 402. The rail receiving unit supports the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 by being fitted to a rail body 451 attached to the coin depositing / dispensing device 405, and the settlement is performed by passing the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 through the front opening 450. The operation unit 401 can be pulled out and stored in the front direction.

  Although not shown, the bill depositing / withdrawing apparatus is built in a position below the left side of the third housing 402 and covered only by the second front panel 404b. The banknote depositing / withdrawing apparatus 406 is configured by arranging a banknote depositing unit having a banknote depositing port and a liquid crystal display unit, a recycle box, a banknote dispensing unit having a banknote dispensing port, and a safe in order from the top (all Not shown). The recycle box and the safe are attached to the third housing 402 so that they can be pulled out and stored in the front direction.

  Although not shown, the receipt printer is built in a position above the left side of the third housing 402 and covered only by the third front panel 404c.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 with the coin feeder 501 (see FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) removed. In FIG. 3, a part of the coin feeder 501 before being removed is indicated by a one-dot chain line. Here, based on FIG.2 and FIG.3, the structure of the upper part of the coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus 405 is demonstrated. A coin guide 452 for depositing is disposed above the coin storage machine 405a constituting the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 405. The coin guide 452 for deposit is a long member formed in a concave cross section so that the coin can move while rolling inside, and is formed by bending an aluminum plate, for example. One end 452a of the coin guide 452 for deposit is positioned above the coin deposit port 407 of the coin storage machine 405a, and the coin introduced from the other end 452b rolls under its own weight and falls from the one end 452a to be transferred from the coin deposit port 407. The payment operation unit 401 is fixedly attached to the attachment member 454 in an oblique direction with the front side of the settlement operation unit 401 facing up so as to be deposited inside the storage machine 405a. The attachment member 454 is formed by bending a metal plate, is fixedly attached to a case 405ba (described later) of the coin lifter 405b, and is disposed so as to cover the coin dispensing port 408. The other end 452b of the deposit coin guide 452 is positioned to receive a coin inserted from the slit 407a of the first front panel 404a in a closed state.

  Here, the coin receiving unit 502 of the coin feeder 501 is offset to the downstream side in the moving direction of the coin moving along the depositing coin guide 452 at the upper end of the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 405, and on the far side of the settlement operation unit 401. It is positioned. For this reason, the space which can arrange | position the coin feeder 501 is ensured above the coin guide 452 for money_receiving | payment. Then, by arranging the coin feeder 501 in this space, the first deposit structure J1 that guides the coin that has passed through the slit 407a to the coin deposit port 407 and the second that guides the coin discharged from the coin feeder 501 to the coin deposit port 407. It can be shared with the deposit structure J2.

  A dispensing coin guide 453 is arranged in a space region sandwiched between the depositing coin guide 452 and the coin storage machine 405a. The dispensing coin guide 453 is a long member formed in a concave cross section so that the coin can move while sliding in a flat state, and is formed, for example, by bending an aluminum plate. The withdrawal coin guide 453 is positioned at a position where one end 453a is dispensed from a coin dispensing port 408 provided in the coin lifter 405b, and the coin is slid out to the front side of the settlement operation unit 401. The coin lifter 405b is fixedly attached to the case 405ba and the attachment member 454 with the end 453b facing downward. The other end 453b of the dispensing coin guide 453 is positioned at a position where coins can be paid out to the tray 408a of the first front panel 404a in the closed state.

  The coin lifter 405b is provided inside the case 405ba formed by bending a single metal plate to have a U-shape in plan view, and a driving roller 405bc that is rotated by driving the motor 405bb and an interval that can hold a single coin. Thus, a driven roller 405bd disposed opposite to the driving roller 405bc is rotatably attached. The driving roller 405bc and the driven roller 405bd are connected via a gear (not shown), and the rotational force of the driving roller 405bc is transmitted to the driven roller 405bd. The driven roller 405bd is the rotation direction of the driving roller 405bc. Rotate in the opposite direction. A first transport belt 405be is wound around the driving roller 405bc, and a second transport belt 405bf is wound around the driven roller 405bd with tension. The first conveyor belt 405be and the second conveyor belt 405bf are stretched in parallel with a distance between them so that coins can be clamped. The coin lifter 405b configured as described above is configured such that the coins stored in the coin storage machine 405a are sandwiched between the first transport belt 405be and the second transport belt 405bf, and the driving roller 405bc is driven by driving the motor 405bb. The driven roller 405bd is rotated and conveyed upward. The coins conveyed at this time are positioned between a pair of guide projections 405bg provided on the first conveyance belt 405be so as to be separated from each other by about the diameter of the coins, thereby preventing horizontal movement. The coins conveyed to the height positions of the driving roller 405bc and the driven roller 405bd slide down toward the coin dispensing port 408, slide along the dispensing coin guide 453, and are paid out to the tray 408a.

  The upper edge 405bh of the case 405ba of the coin lifter 405b is positioned higher than the coin deposit port 407 of the coin storage machine 405a. A coin feeder 501 is attached to the upper edge 405bh. The coin feeder 501 is detachably attached to the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 by a hook 515 provided in the coin feeder 501, and the base 503 is held in an inclined state by a contact member 516 provided in the coin feeder 501.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the coin feeder 501. The coin feeder 501 has a coin receiving unit 502 that can input a plurality of coins at a time, and separates the coins inserted into the coin receiving unit 502 one by one for depositing from a guide body 513 (see FIG. 5). It is a device that discharges the coin to the coin guide 452 (see FIG. 3), drops the coin by its own weight, and deposits it in the coin deposit port 407 (see FIG. 3) of the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 (see FIG. 3). That is, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the depositing coin guide 452 serves as the second depositing structure J2 that guides the coins discharged by the coin feeder 501 to the coin depositing port 407 of the coin depositing and dispensing device 405. Also plays.

  The coin feeder 501 is configured by attaching a hopper 504 to a base 503. The base 503 has a substantially square flat shape, and when the coin feeder 501 is attached to the coin lifter 405b, one surface 503a faces obliquely upward. A rotating member 506 protrudes from the upward surface 503a. The rotating member 506 rotates in a predetermined rotation direction RA along the surface 503a of the base 503 by driving a motor 514 (see FIG. 5). In the rotating member 506, two semicircular members 507 extend in directions in which the rotating members 506 radiate in opposite directions with the rotating member 506 interposed therebetween. The semi-circular member 507 is provided so as to be convex in the rotation direction opposite to the rotation direction RA of the rotation member 506, and rotates together with the rotation member 506 to scoop up coins on the concave side. It has a shape that can hold one coin.

  The hopper 504 has a substantially spherical shape formed of a light-transmitting plastic, and has a structure in which a plurality of coins can be put into the inside through a semicircular opening 511 provided above. ing. A hinge 508 is attached to the upper end of the hopper 504, and the hinge 508 is attached to the base body 503 via the hinge 508 so as to be rotatable and displaceable. A claw portion 509 is provided at the lower end of the hopper 504, and in a state where the claw portion 509 is fitted to the claw receiving portion 510, two halves that abut against the surface 503 a of the base 503 and rotate along the base 503. The rotation trajectory of the circular member 507 is covered. The store clerk grasps the hopper 504 and distorts it, and inserts the claw portion 509 into the claw receiving portion 510 provided on the base body 503, so that the base 503 can block the coins dropped from the opening 511. . Further, the user can open the lower portion of the hopper 504 by grasping the hopper 504 and distorting it, removing the claw portion 509 from the claw receiving portion 510 and lifting the hopper 504. That is, the hopper 504 is freely displaceable between a contact position where the hopper 504 is in contact with the base body 503 and blocks the falling of coins inserted into the base 503 and a separation position where the coin is separated from the base body 503. Further, the base 503 and the hopper 504 form a coin receiving portion 502 of a coin feeder 501 that can input a plurality of coins at a time, and the coin receiving portion 502 is opened and closed by the displacement of the hopper 504.

  The plurality of coins C0 inserted from the opening 511 and reaching the bottom of the coin receiving unit 502 are rescued by the semicircular member 507 when the rotating member 506 rotates in the rotation direction RA, and are in a state of one by one. To be separated. The scooped up coins C <b> 1 are lifted along the surface 503 a of the base 503 and then fall by their own weight from the delivery holes 512 formed in the base 503.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the coin feeder 501 is viewed from the side opposite to FIG. The surface 503b that faces away from the surface 503a of the base 503 and faces downward when the coin feeder 501 is attached to the coin lifter 405b has an L-shape in a side view so that one coin can pass inside. A guide body 513 provided, a motor 514 that rotationally drives the rotating member 506, a hook 515 that attaches the coin feeder 501 to the coin lifter 405b by hooking on the upper edge of the coin lifter 405b, and a case 405ba of the coin lifter 405b (FIG. 3) and a contact member 516 that holds the base body 503 of the coin feeder 501 in an inclined state attached to the coin lifter 405b. The coin feeder 501 is hooked on the coin lifter 405b by the hook 515, and the contact member 516 contacts the outer wall of the 405b, so that the surface 503a of the base body 503 of the coin feeder 501 is directed obliquely, and the motor 514 has a coin deposit / withdrawal. It is positioned on the front side with respect to the device 405 (coin storage machine 405a and coin lifter 405b) (see FIG. 2). At this time, the surface 503b of the base body 503 of the coin feeder 501 is supported on the upper side of the mounting member 454 (see FIG. 3) attached to the case 405ba of the coin lifter 405b, and as a result, the base body 503 is kept stable. . Further, by attaching the coin feeder 501 to the coin lifter 405b, the discharging direction of the coin discharging end 513a of the guide body 513 is oriented in a substantially vertical direction, and the coin discharging end 513a is positioned in the immediate vicinity above the coin guide 452 for depositing. . Further, by attaching the coin feeder 501 to the coin lifter 405b in this way, the coin feeder 501 passes through the front opening 450 with respect to the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401 together with the coin depositing and dispensing device 405. It is pulled out and stored integrally (see FIG. 2).

  With the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 pulled out, the store clerk can easily put coins into the base 503 of the coin feeder 501 and replenish the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 with coins. In this case, the front opening 450 functions as a communication structure that enables batch loading of a plurality of coins from the outside of the third housing 402 to the coin receiving portion 502 of the coin feeder 501. The coins inserted into the coin receiving unit 502 are lifted by the semicircular member 507 (see FIG. 4), fall from the delivery hole 512 by their own weight, and enter the inside of the guide body 513. The coin C2 that has passed through the inside of the guide body 513 is guided by the guide body 513, falls to the deposit coin guide 452, rolls along the deposit coin guide 452, and is deposited into the coin storage machine 405a.

  By pulling out the coin feeder 501 from the third housing 402 together with the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 as described above, the store clerk performs a task of loading coins into the coin receiving unit 502 and replenishing the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 with coins. It becomes possible to do. However, in order to perform the coin replenishment work by such a method, it is necessary to open the first front panel 404a and expose the coin depositing and dispensing device 405. This is not preferable for crime prevention. In this regard, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the operation of replenishing the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 405 with coins by using the coin feeder 501 without opening the first front panel 404a. It can be performed. This point will be described below.

  Refer to FIG. 2 again. A rectangular upper surface opening 455 is provided on the upper surface 402 a of the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401. What is important is the upper surface opening 455 at a position corresponding to the upper surface 402a of the third housing 402 and above the coin receiving portion 502 of the coin feeder 501 in the state accommodated in the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401. Is provided. Therefore, the store clerk puts a plurality of coins into the coin receiving unit 502 of the coin feeder 501 from the upper surface opening 455 without opening the first front panel 404a, and replenishes the coin depositing and dispensing device 405 with the coins. can do. In this case, the upper surface opening 455 has a communication structure that allows a plurality of coins to be collectively fed into the coin receiving unit 502 from the outside of the third housing 402.

  An upper surface opening 455 provided on the upper surface 402 a of the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401 is opened and closed by a cover 456. The cover 456 is connected to the upper surface 402a of the third housing 402 via a hinge 457 attached to the left side when viewed from the front of the settlement operation unit 401, and opens and closes the upper surface opening 455 by being lifted.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a part of the settlement operation unit 401. A key portion 458 that penetrates the cover 456 is attached to the right side of the settlement operation unit 401 of the cover 456 that opens and closes the top opening 455. The key portion 458 is provided with a key hole 459 for inserting a predetermined key (not shown) from above. The key portion 458 can be rotated only by inserting a predetermined key into the keyhole 459. A flat plate-shaped regulating member 460 is attached below the key portion 458. The restricting member 460 closes the upper surface opening 455 by being interfered with the unlock position PU allowing the opening / closing operation of the cover 456 and the upper surface 402a of the third housing 402 as the key portion 458 rotates. And the lock position PL that restricts the opening of the cover 456 positioned at the position of the cover 456 is rotated and displaced. Then, the store clerk inserts the key into the keyhole 459 and rotates the key portion 458, thereby allowing or restricting the opening and closing of the cover 456. That is, the key portion 458 and the regulating member 460 constitute a lock mechanism 461 that locks the cover 456 with a predetermined key.

  Using the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the flow until the customer checks out (settlement) the product to be purchased will be described with reference to FIG. The customer puts the product to be purchased in, for example, a shopping basket prepared by the store, puts it on the product mounting table 207, and declares the start of one transaction. The touch panel 206 is touched in accordance with an instruction displayed on the display 205 by a process performed by (not shown). After the declaration, the customer picks up the products one by one from the shopping basket placed on the product placement table 207, and holds the code symbol such as a barcode attached to the product over the reading surface 204a of the scanner 204 to read the product code. The product is put into an item bag (not shown) installed in the product placement space 308. As the customer performs such work, the controller corresponds to the product code read by the scanner 204 from a product data file (not shown) that stores the unit price and weight corresponding to each product code. A search process for searching for the unit price and weight is executed. Here, in the case of a measured sale product, the controller places the product on a weighing table 203 of a scale (not shown) built in the registration operation unit 201, weighs the weight thereof, and the unit price and the weighing searched in the search process. The amount of money is calculated based on the weight obtained. Subsequently, the controller reads the weight value output from the scale device (not shown) built in the scale unit 301 after reading the product code by the scanner 204, the weight value obtained by the search process or the weight value measured by the scale. A weight check process is performed to determine whether or not it is correct. Only when it is determined that there is identity, the controller executes product information registration processing for storing product information including the read product code and the searched unit price in a storage unit (not shown).

  When ending the reading operation of the product code for all the products to be purchased, the customer declares the end of one transaction by touching the touch panel 206 in accordance with the instruction displayed on the display 205. With the declaration of the end of one transaction, the controller displays various settlement method guidances for the customer on the display 205. When the customer declares from the touch panel 206 that he / she wants to make a payment by cash, the customer inserts a coin from the slit 407a connected to the coin deposit port 407 of the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 according to the guidance displayed on the display 205, By inserting a bill from a contact port 409a connected to a bill deposit port (not shown) of a deposit / withdrawal device (not shown), the cash for the purchased product is put into the settlement operation unit 401. When the controller confirms the payment of cash for the purchased product, the controller drives and controls a receipt printer (not shown) to print and issue a receipt (not shown) from the receipt discharge port 412a. The gold device 405 and the bill deposit / withdrawal device (not shown) are driven to cause coins and bills as fishing to be paid out to the tray 408a and the communication port 410a. The customer receives the issued receipt and the coins and banknotes that have been paid out, and ends one transaction.

  What is important in the flow of checkout (settlement) of the product as described above is that the cover 456 provided on the upper surface of the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401 is locked, and the customer coins one by one into the slit 407a. The coin can be inserted into the settlement operation unit 401 only by passing the. That is, since the customer does not have the key to be inserted into the key hole 459 necessary for moving the cover 456 located on the upper surface 402a of the settlement operation unit 401 to open the upper surface opening 455, the upper surface opening 455 is The coins cannot be opened, and a plurality of coins cannot be put together from the coin receiving unit 502 of the coin feeder 501. That is, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent foreign matters such as dust and trash from being thrown in by the customer or due to mischief, and foreign matter enters the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 and fails. Such a problem does not occur.

  Further, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the slit 407a used for the customer to insert coins is provided on the front surface of the settlement operation unit 401, whereas from the coin receiving unit 502 of the coin feeder 501. An upper surface opening 455 for collectively loading a plurality of coins is provided on the upper surface 402 a of the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401. Therefore, the presence of the upper surface opening 455 is not easily noticed by the customer, and the cover 456 that seals the upper surface opening 455 is not easily broken by the customer's mischief. Furthermore, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the cover 456 prevents dust and dirt mixed by naturally falling through the upper surface opening 455 from being mixed into the coin depositing and dispensing device 405. Since the cover 456 is locked by the lock mechanism 461 that requires unlocking with a key, it is possible to reliably prevent a customer from putting in foreign matter such as dust and dirt from the upper surface opening 455.

  By the way, according to the regulations of each country, there is a country that recommends that coins be inserted one by one into the coin insertion slot of the coin depositing / dispensing device when a general customer inserts coins into the coin depositing / dispensing device. That was mentioned above. In this respect, according to the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, since the customer must pass through the slit 407a, coins are deposited one by one into the coin depositing and dispensing device 405, like this It can be introduced to stores in different countries.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the self-checkout terminal 101 in a state where the cover 456 is opened. When the store clerk performs maintenance work inside the settlement operation unit 401 or cash replenishment and collection work, the front panel (first front panel 404a, second front panel 404b, 3, the locks 419 a, 419 b, and 419 c provided on the front panel 404 c) are unlocked, the front panel is rotated about the vertical axis, and the third housing 402 is opened, so that the maintenance work and the cash Replenishment and recovery operations can be performed. Here, if the store clerk wants to open the first front panel 404a or the second front panel 404b, the store clerk needs to tilt the bag hook 306 provided on the upper surface of the scale unit 301 while pressing the lever 306a. There is.

  In the settlement operation unit 401 of this embodiment, a coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 is supported with respect to the third housing 402 so as to be withdrawn or stored. Therefore, the store clerk can open the first front panel 404 a and pull the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 from the third housing 402 toward the front of the settlement operation unit 401. Here, since the coin feeder 501 is attached to the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 and the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 and the coin feeder 501 are withdrawn integrally, the store clerk can easily perform maintenance of these devices.

  Further, since the coin feeder 501 is hooked on the upper edge 405bh of the case 405ba of the coin lifter 405b by the hook 515 and is detachably attached, the store clerk removes the coin feeder 501 from the coin lifter 405b and repairs it by hand. Even when the coin feeder 501 is broken or replaced with another coin feeder 501, the coin feeder 501 can be quickly recovered.

  In addition, the coin feeder 501 of the present embodiment has a structure capable of opening and closing the lower side of the hopper 504 constituting the coin receiving unit 502. For this reason, if the clerk has a problem that the semi-circular member 507 of the coin feeder 501 is clogged with coins, the clerk 509 of the hopper 504 is not required to be removed without removing the coin feeder 501 from the coin depositing and dispensing device 405. 503 can be removed from the nail receiving portion 510, the coin receiving portion 502 is opened, a finger is put into the coin receiving portion 502, the coin is removed, and the trouble can be easily solved.

  The store clerk can put a plurality of coins into the coin receiving unit 502 of the coin feeder 501 in a state where the coin deposit / withdrawal device 405 is pulled out as described above. That is, according to the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the store clerk can put coins into the coin receiving unit 502 of the coin feeder 501 inside the third housing 402 that cannot be involved by the customer, and accordingly The time required for replenishing a large amount of change coins to the coin deposit and withdrawal device 405 performed by the store clerk can be greatly shortened.

  As described above, in addition to being able to replenish coins by opening the first front panel 404a, the self-checkout terminal 101 according to the present embodiment is a safer coin replenishment method. A plurality of coins can be put into the coin receiving unit 502 of the coin feeder 501 without opening the first front panel 404a. This is because the cover 456 provided on the upper surface 402a of the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401 is unlocked using a key (not shown), and the cover 456 is lifted to open the upper surface opening 455. Realized by opening. That is, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the frequency with which the first front panel 404a is opened and the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 and the bill depositing / dispensing device are exposed can be reduced, which is effective for crime prevention.

  Further, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the upper surface opening 455 is provided above the coin feeder 501 in a state of being housed in the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401, and further, this coin Since the coin receiving unit 502 of the feeder 501 is formed in the upper surface opening, the store clerk can easily replenish a large amount of coins to the coin depositing and dispensing device 405 through the upper surface opening 455.

  Furthermore, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, a depositing coin guide 452 that connects the slit 407a and the coin depositing port 407 of the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 is provided, and the coin feeder 501 is connected to the coin guide 452 for depositing. It is positioned to drop the coin. That is, in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the first deposit structure J1 and the second deposit structure J2 are shared. And the coin receiving part 502 of the coin feeder 501 is offset and provided in the upper end of the coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus 405 in the downstream of the moving direction of the coin which moves along the coin guide 452 for deposit. For this reason, the upper surface opening 455 for putting coins into the coin receiving portion 502 of the coin feeder 501 can be provided close to the front side of the upper surface 402a of the third housing 402. Through 455, it is possible to facilitate the work of replenishing a large amount of change coins to the coin depositing and dispensing device 405. Further, by placing the coin feeder 501 close to the front side of the settlement operation unit 401, the motor 514 (see FIG. 5) protruding to the back side of the coin feeder 501 is connected to the coin depositing / dispensing device 405 (the coin storage device 405a and the coin lifter). 405b) is positioned on the front side (see FIG. 2), and as a result, the upper space inside the third housing 402 can be used effectively, and the settlement operation unit 401 can be further downsized or larger. It is possible to increase the amount of coins that can be stored in the settlement operation unit 401 by inserting the coin storage device 405a.

  FIG. 8 is a left side view schematically showing an arrangement relationship among the coin feeder 501, the depositing coin guide 452, and the slit 407a in another embodiment. As another embodiment, a coin feeder 501 is arranged on the inner side of the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401 of the embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. The coin depositing port 407 may be positioned at the falling position of the coin C4 inserted from the slit 407a provided in the first front panel 404a. And in this Embodiment, the coin guide 452 for payment is attached in the direction which inclines with the front part facing down so that the coin discharged | emitted from the coin feeder 501 may be rolled to the front direction of the payment operation unit 401 with dead weight. Yes. In this case, only the coins discharged from the coin feeder 501 move in the depositing coin guide 452, so that the function as the first depositing structure J1 is not performed and only the function of the second depositing structure J2 is performed. In the present embodiment, the first depositing structure J1 is a guide member 407b as shown in FIG. 8 protruding to the back side of the slit 407a. Also in the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, a coin feeder 501 capable of batching coins is disposed in the third housing 402 that can be reached only by a store clerk, as in the above-described embodiment, and the customer Since a coin can be inserted into the third housing 402 only by passing through the slit 407a, a store clerk who uses a coin feeder 501 that allows a plurality of coins to be batch-loaded and separates and feeds the coins one by one While maintaining the work efficiency of the coin replenishment work to the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 405 by the collective coin insertion, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from being mixed into the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 405 that can be performed by the customer. Further, according to the self-checkout terminal 101 of the present embodiment, the coin feeder 501 is arranged on the inner side of the third housing 402 of the settlement operation unit 401, so that the upper surface opening 455 is set at the settlement operation unit. 401 can be provided on the rear side of the upper surface 402a, and it is difficult for the customer to notice the presence of the upper surface opening 455, and the customer throws in foreign matter such as dust and debris from this insertion port by mistake or by mischief. The risk of getting lost is reduced.

It is a perspective view which shows a self-checkout terminal. It is a perspective view which shows a part of payment operation unit in the state where only the 1st front panel was opened and the coin deposit and withdrawal device was pulled out. It is a perspective view which shows a part of coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus of the state from which the coin feeder was removed. It is a perspective view which shows a coin feeder. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the coin feeder was seen from the opposite side to FIG. It is a top view which shows a part of payment operation unit. It is a perspective view which shows the self-checkout terminal of the state by which the cover was open | released. It is a left view which shows typically the arrangement | positioning relationship between the coin feeder, the coin guide for money_receiving | payment, and a slit in another embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 ... Self-checkout terminal, 402 ... 3rd housing (housing), 405 ... Coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus, 405a ... Coin storage machine (coin storage part), 407 ... Coin deposit port (coin depositing part), 407a ... Slit, 407b ... guide member (first depositing structure), 408 ... coin dispensing slot (coin dispensing slot), 450 ... front opening (communication structure), 451 ... rail body (slide support mechanism), 452 ... coin guide for depositing 455 ... upper surface opening (communication structure), 456 ... cover, 461 ... lock mechanism, 501 ... coin feeder, 502 ... coin receiving portion, 503 ... base, 504 ... hopper, J1 ... first deposit structure, J2 ... second Deposit structure

Claims (8)

A housing;
A slit provided in the housing and allowing passage of one coin;
It is built in the housing and has a coin depositing part, a coin storing part, and a coin dispensing part, accepting coins one by one from the coin depositing part, and allowing coins in the coin storing part to be dispensed A vertical coin depositing and dispensing device that pays out from the gold part;
A first depositing structure for guiding the coin that has passed through the slit to a coin depositing unit of the coin depositing and dispensing device;
A coin feeder that is housed in the housing and has a coin receiving portion capable of batch-loading a plurality of coins, and separates and discharges the coins inserted into the coin receiving portion one by one;
A communication structure that is provided in the housing, communicates with the outside and the coin receiving portion of the coin depositing and dispensing device, and allows a plurality of coins to be collectively fed into the coin receiving portion from the outside;
A second depositing structure for guiding coins discharged from the coin feeder to the coin depositing unit;
Self-checkout terminal equipped with. The slit is provided on a side surface of the housing,
The coin receiving part of the coin feeder has an upper opening,
The communication structure is an upper surface opening provided at an upper position of the coin receiving portion of the coin feeder on the upper surface of the housing.
The self-checkout terminal according to claim 1.   The self-checkout terminal according to claim 2, further comprising a cover that closes the upper surface opening.   The self-checkout terminal according to claim 3, further comprising a lock mechanism that locks the cover with a predetermined key. The communication structure is a side opening provided on a side surface of the housing,
A slide support mechanism that supports the coin deposit / withdrawal device and the coin feeder so that the housing can be withdrawn and stored integrally through the side opening;
The self-checkout terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   The self-checkout terminal according to claim 1, wherein the coin feeder is detachably attached to the coin depositing and dispensing device. The coin feeder includes a base body, and a hopper attached to the base body so as to be displaceable between a contact position that contacts the base body and blocks falling of coins that are inserted into the base body, and a separation position that is separated from the base body. With
A coin receiving portion of the coin feeder is formed by the base and the hopper, and is opened and closed by the displacement of the hopper.
The self-checkout terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The first depositing structure is a depositing coin guide that connects the slit and a coin depositing unit of the coin depositing / dispensing device, moves the coin that has passed through the slit by its own weight, and guides it to the coin depositing unit. , Shared with the second deposit structure,
The coin depositing / dispensing part of the coin depositing / dispensing device is offset to the downstream side in the moving direction of the coin moving along the depositing coin guide in the coin depositing / dispensing device,
The self-checkout terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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