JP2010244458A - Bill inserting mechanism and bill processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to easily pick up a folded bill or the like by his or her fingers even when the folded bill or the like inserted to a bill slot is rejected to stop the system due to the rear end portion thereof slightly protruded from the bill slot. <P>SOLUTION: The mechanism includes a bill slot 21, and a bill guide tray 15 provided below the bill slot while protruding to the front to guide the lower surface of a bill. The bill guide tray includes: a bill guide surface 15a which guides the lower surface of the bill to be inserted to and removed from the bill slot, and a recess 15b disposed at the center in the width direction of the bill guide surface. The recess extends from the front end of the bill guide surface to the inside of the bill slot. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement of a bill insertion mechanism that constitutes a bill processing device installed in bill handling devices such as various vending machines, deposit / withdrawal devices, and money changers, and more particularly than the length of regular bills such as bi-fold bills and cards. The present invention relates to a banknote insertion mechanism and a banknote handling apparatus that can return a rejected banknote or the like in a state where it can be easily picked when a remarkably short sheet-like material is inserted from a banknote insertion slot.

  Banknote handling devices such as various vending machines, deposit / withdrawal devices, money changers, etc. determine the bill length, authenticity, and denomination in the process of pulling in bills inserted by the user from the bill insertion slot and transporting them inside the device. If it is a legitimate banknote, it is received and stored in a banknote storage section arranged in the back, or a banknote processing device for paying change or return money, and operation switches for operation by the user And an operation board provided with a display, and an article providing unit for providing an article or service when a transaction is established with the user. When the inserted banknote does not have a regular length or is a fake bill, the banknote handling apparatus rejects the banknote and returns it from the banknote insertion slot.

FIG.4 and FIG.5 is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the structure and fault of a banknote processing apparatus provided with the conventional banknote insertion mechanism.
The banknote handling apparatus 100 is equipped in a banknote handling apparatus such as a vending machine.
As shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), a bill insertion slot 101 is arranged in front of the bill processing apparatus 100, and a bill guide tray 102 is projected from the outer surface of the apparatus directly below the bill insertion slot 101. ing. In the bill conveyance path that continues from the bill insertion slot 101 to the inside of the apparatus, there are an insertion detection sensor 103, a shutter 104 driven by a solenoid, a roller pair (conveyance member) 105, a conveyance belt (conveyance member) 106, and a length detection sensor 107. They are arranged sequentially. Further, an identification device (not shown) for discriminating the authenticity, denomination, etc. of the bill is arranged at the back of the length detection sensor 107, and a bill storage (not shown) is arranged at the back of the identification device.
When the banknote S is inserted from the banknote insertion slot 101, the insertion detection sensor 103 detects the leading edge of the banknote, so that the control unit (not shown) drives the solenoid to open the shutter 104, and further drives the motor to drive the roller. The pair 105 and the conveyance belt 106 are rotated to start conveyance of the banknotes. The length detection sensor 107 determines the length of the banknote based on the time (number of pulses) from when the leading edge of the banknote enters until the trailing edge passes, and when it has a regular length, the control unit controls the transport belt. 106 is driven in the forward direction to convey the bill to the identification device. On the other hand, when the banknote S folded in half as shown in the figure is inserted and the length detection sensor 107 detects that the banknote S is shorter than the normal length, the control unit rejects the banknote. Therefore, the conveyance belt 106 and the roller pair 105 are reversed and returned to the bill insertion slot 101 (FIG. 4B). Not only folded bills but also cards and other short sheets that are less than the regular length are rejected and returned.

By the way, since the insertion detection sensor 103 and the shutter 104 are sequentially arranged in front of the roller pair 105 as a conveying member located closest to the banknote insertion slot, the roller pair 105 is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the banknote insertion slot 101. It is difficult to do so, and a relatively long distance L is formed between the bill insertion slot and the roller pair 105. Even if this distance L is slightly longer than ½ of the bill length, as shown in FIG. 5, the leading end F of the folded bill S returned by the reverse rotation of the conveying belt 106 and the roller pair 105 is In a state where the nip portion is pulled out and stopped, the rear end portion R of the banknote S is slightly protruded from the banknote insertion slot 101. Further, there is only a slight gap between the rear end portion R slightly protruding from the bill insertion slot and the upper surface (the bill guide surface) 102a of the bill guide tray 102. For this reason, it was very difficult for the user to pick up and remove the folded banknotes with a finger.
Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 disclose the structure of the bill insertion slot, but do not disclose any configuration for dealing with such a problem.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-073534 JP 2000-149122 A JP 2002-260062 A

As described above, in the conventional banknote insertion mechanism, there is only a slight gap between the banknote insertion slot and the upper surface of the banknote guide plate protruding from the outer surface of the apparatus immediately below the banknote insertion slot. And the conveying member are separated from each other, when a folded paper bill or other short sheet material is rejected and returned, the rear end of the folded paper bill or the like slightly protrudes from the bill insertion slot. And the space for picking a banknote rear end part with a finger | toe between the banknote guide plate upper surface and the banknote rear end part was not fully ensured.
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and the rear end portion of the folded bill from the bill insertion port is rejected by rejecting the folded bill inserted from the bill insertion port, and other short sheet materials, etc. For the purpose of providing a banknote insertion mechanism and a banknote processing device that can be easily picked up by a user's finger and taken out even when the card slightly protrudes to the outside and stops. Yes.

In order to achieve the above object, a bill insertion mechanism according to the invention of claim 1 includes a bill insertion slot and a bill guide tray that projects forward and guides the bottom surface of the bill below the bill insertion slot. A bill insertion mechanism, wherein the bill guide tray includes a bill guide surface that guides a lower surface of a bill to be taken in and out from a bill insertion slot, and a recess disposed in a central portion in the width direction of the bill guide surface. And the recess extends from the front end of the bill guide surface to the inside of the bill insertion slot.
The banknote guide tray is provided with a recess that is one step lower in the center in the width direction of the banknote guide surface that guides the lower surface of the banknote. For this reason, even if the back end of the banknote or the like protruding from the banknote insertion slot is too short because the banknote returned from the banknote insertion slot is short, the finger The part can be picked and pulled out.
A banknote handling apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a banknote insertion mechanism according to the first aspect, an insertion detection sensor, a shutter, a transport member, and a length sequentially disposed on a banknote transport path that continues from the banknote insertion port to the inside of the apparatus. It is characterized by having a thickness detection sensor.

  According to the present invention, since the recessed portion that is one step lower is provided in the central portion in the width direction of the banknote guide surface of the banknote guide tray, the banknote returned from the banknote insertion slot is short and protrudes from the banknote insertion slot. Even when the rear end of a banknote or the like is too short, it is possible to insert a finger from the recess and pull out the rear end of the banknote.

It is composition explanatory drawing of a bill processing device provided with a bill insertion mechanism concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the internal structure of a banknote processing apparatus. (A) (b) And (c) is a front perspective view of a bill insertion mechanism. (A) And (b) is the front perspective view and longitudinal cross-sectional view which show the structure of a prior art example. (A) And (b) is a front perspective view which shows the fault of a prior art example, and a longitudinal cross-sectional view.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a banknote handling apparatus including a banknote insertion mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an internal configuration of the banknote handling apparatus. b) and (c) are front perspective views of the bill insertion mechanism.
The banknote processing apparatus 1 is equipped in a vending machine (banknote handling apparatus) such as a food ticket, for example, and has a function of performing a banknote receiving process, a banknote payout process as a change, a reject banknote return process, and the like.
The banknote handling apparatus 1 transports banknotes inserted from a banknote insertion slot (banknote insertion section) 21 along the banknote transport path P into the apparatus, such as a roller pair 12a, a transport belt 12b, and other transport members 12. It has the apparatus main body 11 provided on the path | route P, and the identification device 26 which arrange | positions the sensor group which is not shown in figure for determining the authenticity of a banknote, and a money type.
The bill insertion slot 21 guides a bill inserted into the bill transport path P in cooperation with the bill guide tray 15 protruding from the front portion of the apparatus main body 11. That is, the banknote guide tray 15 has a banknote guide surface 15a on its upper surface, and enables smooth insertion by guiding the bottom surface of the banknote inserted into the banknote insertion slot by the user with the banknote guide surface 15a.

More specifically, a banknote insertion slot 21 is arranged on the front side of the banknote handling apparatus 1, and a banknote guide tray 15 is projected from the outer surface of the apparatus directly below the banknote insertion slot 21. In the bill conveyance path P continuing from the bill insertion slot 21 to the inside of the apparatus, an insertion detection sensor 22, a shutter 23 driven by a solenoid, a roller pair (conveyance member) 12a, a conveyance belt (conveyance member) 12b, and a length detection sensor 25. Are arranged sequentially. Further, an identification device 26 for discriminating the authenticity, denomination, etc. of the bill is arranged at the back of the length detection sensor 25, and a bill storage unit (not shown) is arranged at the back of the identification device. Note that the bill insertion slot 21 and the bill guide tray 15 constitute a bill insertion mechanism.
When the banknote S is inserted from the banknote insertion slot 21, the insertion detection sensor 22 detects the leading edge of the banknote, so that the control unit (not shown) drives the solenoid to open the shutter 23, and further drives the motor to drive the roller. The banknotes are started to be conveyed inside by rotating the pair 12a and the conveyor belt 12b. The length detection sensor 25 determines the length of the banknote based on the time (number of pulses) from when the leading edge of the banknote enters until the trailing edge passes, and when it has a regular length, the control unit controls the conveyor belt. 12b is driven in the forward direction to convey the bill to the identification device. On the other hand, when the banknote S folded in half as shown in the figure is inserted and the length detection sensor 25 detects that the banknote S is shorter than the regular length, the control unit rejects the banknote. Therefore, the transport belt 12b and the roller pair 12a are reversed and returned to the bill insertion slot 21.
Not only folded bills but also cards and other short sheets that are less than the regular length are rejected and returned.

Since the insertion detection sensor 22 and the shutter 23 are sequentially arranged in front of the roller pair 12a serving as a conveyance member located closest to the banknote insertion slot, the roller pair 12a is arranged in the immediate vicinity of the banknote insertion slot 21. A relatively long distance L is formed between the bill insertion slot and the roller pair. Even if this distance L is slightly longer than ½ of the bill length, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the tip F of the folded bill S returned by the reverse rotation of the conveying belt 12b and the roller pair 12a is a roller. In a state where the nip portion of the pair 12a is pulled out and stopped, the rear end portion R of the banknote S is in a state of slightly protruding from the banknote insertion slot 21.
The banknote guide tray 15 according to the present invention includes a banknote guide surface 15a that guides the lower surface of a banknote inserted and withdrawn from the banknote insertion slot 21, and a recess 15b that is disposed at the center in the width direction of the banknote guide surface. In addition, the vertical and horizontal dimensions and the depth dimension of the recess 15b are appropriately set in advance so as to form a sufficient space for inserting a finger between the rear end portion of the folded bill S protruding from the bill insertion slot 21. Yes.
For this reason, space of the length and breadth and depth size sufficient for inserting a finger is formed between back end R which protrudes slightly from a bill insertion slot, and recess 15b provided in a bill guide tray. For this reason, it becomes easy for the user to pick up and return the folded banknotes with a finger.

As described above, according to the banknote insertion mechanism of the present invention, since a one-step lower recess is provided in the central portion in the width direction of the banknote guide surface of the banknote guide tray, a short sheet such as a folded banknote is returned from the banknote insertion slot. Even if the trailing edge of a bill or the like that is stopped in a state of protruding from the bill insertion slot is too short, a finger can be inserted into the recess, and the trailing edge of the bill is inserted into the recess. Since the lower surface of the banknote having a sufficient area for picking up the portion is exposed, it can be easily pulled out and picked up.
In this way, the rear end of the folded folded bill or the like that has been returned can be picked up by making a simple modification to the bill guide tray without any modification to the transport mechanism and detection mechanism inside the bill processing apparatus. It becomes possible to pull out.
The banknote handling apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to banknote handling apparatuses such as various vending machines, deposit / withdrawal apparatuses, and money changers.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Banknote processing apparatus, 11 ... Apparatus main body, 12 ... Conveyance member, 12a ... Roller pair, 12b ... Conveyance belt, 15 ... Banknote guide plate (banknote insertion mechanism), 15a ... Banknote guide surface, 15b ... Recess, 21 ... Banknote insertion slot (banknote insertion mechanism), 22 ... insertion detection sensor, 23 ... shutter, 25 ... length detection sensor, 26 ... identification device

Claims (2)

A bill insertion mechanism comprising a bill insertion slot, and a bill guide tray that projects forwardly below the bill insertion slot and guides the bill bottom surface,
The banknote guide tray has a banknote guide surface that guides a lower surface of a banknote that is inserted and removed from a banknote insertion slot, and a recess that is disposed at a central portion in the width direction of the banknote guide surface.
The banknote insertion mechanism, wherein the recess extends from the front end of the banknote guide surface to the inside of the banknote insertion slot.   A bill including the bill insertion mechanism according to claim 1 and an insertion detection sensor, a shutter, a conveyance member, and a length detection sensor sequentially arranged on a bill conveyance path extending from the bill insertion port to the inside of the apparatus. Processing equipment.

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