JP2018132955A - Medium passage detection device and pair of medium passage detection devices - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medium passage detection device capable of detecting a medium having a transparent part at a plurality of positions on a conveyance path with a set of a light emitting part and a light receiving part and capable of detecting a medium having a reflective surface, and a pair of medium passage detection devices.SOLUTION: The medium passage detection device that optically detects the passage of a medium conveyed in a conveyance path includes: a light emitting part arranged on one side of the conveyance path and emitting light toward the conveyance path such that the optical axis in the conveyance path forms an angle of at least 60° and less than 90° with respect to the direction orthogonal to the conveyance path; a reflection part arranged at a position apart from the conveyance path by a predetermined distance on the other side of the conveyance path in parallel to the conveyance path, and reflecting light emitted from the light emitting part; and a light receiving part arranged on the one side of the conveyance path and receiving light reflected by the reflection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a medium passage detection device and a pair of medium passage detection devices. More specifically, a medium passage detection device suitable for optically detecting passage of a transparent medium, in particular, a medium such as a bill provided with a transparent portion such as a clear window and a specular reflection portion such as a hologram, and a pair of The present invention relates to a medium passage detection device.

The medium passage detection device is a device that detects a medium conveyed in an apparatus such as a medium processing apparatus, and normally, a transmission type optical sensor is used.

Examples of the medium to be conveyed include paper sheets such as banknotes (banknotes), gift certificates, and checks. The paper used for paper sheets such as banknotes is mainly made of vegetable fiber, but for the purpose of improving durability, water resistance, security, etc., paper made of synthetic fiber is used or synthesized. A polymer sheet, which is a resin sheet, may be used. Banknotes made from polymer sheets are called polymer banknotes. Various security features may be imparted to the paper sheets, and for example, a clear window (transparent window) may be provided on the polymer bill to prevent forgery.

As a technique for detecting the passage of a medium having a transparent part, for example, in Patent Document 1, the traveling path of a light transmissive film is set obliquely with respect to the optical path from a light projecting element to a light receiving element, A detection device is disclosed in which the light transmittance of the light transmissive film is apparently decreased and the detection capability of the light transmissive film is improved by increasing the reflectance of the light transmissive film to reduce transmitted light.

In addition, as a technique for detecting the position and outer shape of a medium using an optical sensor, for example, in Patent Document 2, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are incorporated in one sealed case, and a reflector is arranged facing the sealed case. Accordingly, an optical sensor device is disclosed in which paper sheets can be detected at a plurality of locations on the conveyance path and the wiring structure is simplified.

JP 61-61087 A JP-A-7-160924

As a method of improving the detection capability of a medium provided with a transparent portion such as a clear window, a method of providing a plurality of points on the conveyance path for detecting the passage of the medium (hereinafter also referred to as a medium detection position) can be considered. Here, in the detection apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, one pair of a light projecting element and a light receiving element is required for each medium detection position. Therefore, when providing a plurality of medium detection positions on the conveyance path using the detection apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to arrange the pair for each medium detection position, and the space occupied by the detection apparatus increases. .

According to the technique described in Patent Document 2, a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are arranged on one side of the conveyance path, and a reflection unit is provided on the other side of the conveyance path, thereby conveying by a set of light emitting unit and light receiving unit. Although it is possible to detect a medium at a plurality of locations on the road, there is no disclosure of a technique for detecting a medium provided with a transparent portion in the first place. Further, in order to be able to detect a medium having a transparent portion, as in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is assumed that the optical axis is arranged obliquely with respect to the medium in the optical sensor device described in Patent Document 2. When detecting a medium having a specular reflection part such as a hologram, the light receiving part may receive the reflected light from the specular reflection part, and erroneously determine that the part where the specular reflection part is formed is without the medium There is a problem that a medium having a specular reflection portion cannot be detected.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described situation, and can detect a medium having a transparent portion at a plurality of locations on a conveyance path by a pair of a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion, and a reflecting surface. An object of the present invention is to provide a medium passage detection device and a pair of medium passage detection devices capable of detecting a medium having the medium.

The present invention is a medium passage detection device that optically detects the passage of a medium transported in a transport path, and is disposed on one side of the transport path, and an optical axis is transported in the transport path A light emitting unit that emits light toward the conveyance path so as to form an angle of 60 ° or more and less than 90 ° with a direction orthogonal to the path, and a predetermined distance from the conveyance path on the other side of the conveyance path A reflection part that reflects light emitted from the light emitting part, and a light that is arranged on the one side of the conveyance path and reflected by the reflection part. And a light receiving portion for receiving light.

Moreover, this invention is characterized by further providing the 1st light guide provided between the said conveyance path and the said reflection part in the said invention.

Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the light reflected by the reflecting portion is incident on the transport path from the first light guide at an incident angle less than a critical angle.

Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the light receiving section is arranged at a position spaced apart from the transport path by a predetermined distance.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above invention, the second light guide and the third light guide provided between the transport path and the light emitting unit and between the transport path and the light receiving unit, respectively. A light body is further provided.

Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the light emitted from the light emitting unit is incident on the transport path from the second light guide at an incident angle less than a critical angle.

Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the light emitting section emits infrared light.

Further, the present invention is a pair of medium passage detection devices including two of the medium passage detection devices, wherein two reflection portions of the two medium passage detection devices are located on the opposite sides of the conveyance path, The two medium passage detection devices are configured such that one detects the passage of the medium at two medium detection positions and the other detects the passage of the medium at the same two positions as the two medium detection positions. , Arranged.

According to the medium passage detection device and the pair of medium passage detection devices of the present invention, it is possible to detect a medium having a transparent portion at a plurality of locations on the conveyance path by a pair of light emitting portion and light receiving portion, and It is possible to detect a medium having a reflective surface.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating a suitable example of a paper sheet having a transparent portion, which is detected by the paper sheet passage detection device according to the first embodiment. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the paper sheet passage detection device concerning Embodiment 1 from the conveyance direction of paper sheets. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the paper sheet passage detection device concerning Embodiment 1 from the conveyance direction of paper sheets, and represents the state where paper sheets are conveyed in the center of a conveyance way. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the paper sheet passage detection device concerning Embodiment 1 from the side. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the paper sheet passage detection device concerning Embodiment 1 from the conveyance direction of paper sheets, and represents the state where the paper sheets which have a hologram are conveyed above the conveyance way. It is the schematic diagram which looked at a pair of paper sheet passage detection device concerning Embodiment 2 from the conveyance direction of paper sheets. FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a pair of paper sheet passage detection devices according to the second embodiment when viewed from the paper sheet conveyance direction, and shows a state in which a folded paper sheet is conveyed through a conveyance path. It is the schematic diagram which expanded the part enclosed with the circle in FIG. It is the schematic diagram which looked at a pair of paper sheet passage detection device concerning Embodiment 3 from the upper part. It is the schematic diagram which looked at the paper sheet passage detection device concerning modification 4 from the conveyance direction of paper sheets.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a medium passage detection device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is a paper sheet passage detection device used for detecting passage of paper sheets. The paper sheet passage detection device according to the present embodiment is mounted on the paper sheet processing device and is used to detect the passage of the paper sheet transported in the short direction along the transport path in the paper sheet processing device. Is done.

The type of paper sheet to be detected by the paper sheet passage detection device according to the present embodiment is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include banknotes, gift certificates, checks, securities, and card-like media. Paper used for banknotes is mainly paper made from plant fiber, but paper made from synthetic fibers or synthetic resin sheets for the purpose of improving durability, water resistance, security, etc. A polymer sheet may be used. Banknotes made from polymer sheets are called polymer banknotes.

The paper sheet to be detected may be composed only of an opaque portion that blocks light, but a transparent portion that transmits at least visible light (visible light) and / or infrared light. What is included in at least a part is suitable, and it is preferable that the paper sheet to be detected is formed from a polymer sheet. Further, the paper sheet to be detected may be a paper sheet (hybrid paper sheet) in which the transparent portion is formed from a polymer sheet and the opaque portion is formed from paper made of plant fiber or synthetic fiber. Moreover, it is preferable that the paper sheet to be detected has a reflection surface and a mirror reflection portion such as a rainbow hologram is partially formed.

An example of a paper sheet suitable as a detection target of the paper sheet passage detection device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, clear windows 2a and 2b are formed in the lower left part and the right part of the paper sheet (medium) 1 as transparent parts 2 that transmit visible light and infrared light, respectively. . The clear window 2a is provided in an island shape and is surrounded by an opaque portion 3 where light is shielded. The clear window 2b is provided in a strip shape and corresponds to the short direction (in the present embodiment, corresponding to the transport direction). In this case, the paper sheet 1 is provided from one end to the other end.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the paper sheet passage detection device (medium passage detection device) 10 according to the present embodiment is a light emitting unit 20 disposed below the conveyance path 11 through which the paper sheet 1 passes. And the light receiving unit 30 and the reflecting unit 40 disposed on the upper side of the conveyance path 11. The paper sheet passage detection device 10 further includes a first light guide 50 disposed between the transport path 11 and the reflection unit 40, and a second guide disposed between the transport path 11 and the light emitting unit 20. An optical body 60 and a third light guide 70 disposed between the conveyance path 11 and the light receiving unit 30 are provided. The conveyance path 11 is a gap between a pair of conveyance guides 12 arranged in parallel to each other, and the height H of the conveyance path 11, that is, the distance between the pair of conveyance guides 12 may be 4 mm, for example. it can. In FIG. 3, the paper sheet 1 is conveyed through the paper sheet processing apparatus from the front of the paper to the back of the paper or from the back of the paper to the front of the paper.

A plurality of rollers 80 shown in FIG. 4 are provided in the paper sheet processing apparatus so that the paper sheet 1 can move in the transport path 11, and the rollers 80 are driven by a driving device (not shown) such as a motor. . Each roller 80 is rotationally driven by the driving device, so that the paper sheet 1 is transported in the transport path 11 in the positive X-axis direction (in FIG. 4, from the right side to the left side of the paper sheet passage detection device 10). The paper sheet passage detection device 10 is passed through the point. The paper sheet 1 may be transported in the transport path 11 in the negative X-axis direction (from the left side to the right side of the paper sheet passage detection device 10 in FIG. 4).

The light emitting unit 20 irradiates the paper 1 with light. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the light emitting unit 20 is disposed below the conveyance path 11. The light emitted from the light emitting unit 20 crosses the conveyance path 11 diagonally and travels toward the reflecting unit 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the light emitting unit 20 houses and protects a light emitting element 21 composed of a light emitting diode (LED) and the like, a substrate (not shown) on which the light emitting element 21 is mounted, and these. And a terminal portion 23 provided at one end of the housing 22. Further, the housing 22 has a protective member 24 that is disposed so as to face the light emitting surface of the light emitting element 21 (transmits light emitted from the light emitting element 21). Emitting unit 20, the direction L10 of the optical axis L1 is perpendicular to the conveying path 11 and 60 ° or more in the conveying path 11, emits light toward the transportation path 11 so as to form an angle theta ₁ is less than 90 °.

Although the kind (wavelength) of the light which the light emission part 20 emits is not specifically limited, It is preferable that the light emission part 20 irradiates infrared light. By setting it as such an aspect, since attenuation of the light by the influence of dust can be suppressed, it becomes possible to detect the paper sheet 1 more reliably. Moreover, since the infrared light source is inexpensive, the manufacturing cost of the paper sheet passage detection device 10 can be reduced.

The reflection unit 40 reflects the light emitted from the light emitting unit 20. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the reflection unit 40 is arranged on the upper side of the conveyance path 11, and is arranged in parallel to the conveyance path 11 at a position separated from the conveyance path 11 by a predetermined distance. Here, the reflection unit 40 is arranged in parallel with the conveyance path 11. In the reflection unit 40, the reflection surface on which the light emitted from the light emitting unit 20 is reflected is arranged in parallel with the conveyance path 11. This means that the entire reflection unit 40 may or may not be arranged in parallel with the transport path 11. That is, in the reflection unit 40, the surface other than the reflection surface on which the light emitted from the light emitting unit 20 is reflected may not be parallel to the transport path 11. In the present specification, the term “parallel” includes not only perfect parallelism but also substantially parallelism within the range where the effects of the present invention are achieved.

The light reflected by the reflecting unit 40 crosses the conveyance path 11 diagonally so as to move away from the light emitting unit 20 and travels toward the light receiving unit 30. The reflection part 40 is a member having a flat part parallel to the transport path 11 as a reflection surface, and for example, a metal, a mirror, or the like can be used as the reflection part 40.

The light receiving unit 30 receives the light reflected by the reflecting unit 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the light receiving unit 30 is disposed below the conveyance path 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the light receiving unit 30 includes a light receiving element 31, a substrate (not shown) on which the light receiving element 31 is mounted, a housing 32 that houses and protects these, And a terminal portion 33 provided at one end. In addition, the housing 32 includes a protective member 34 that is disposed so as to face the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 31 (transmits light emitted from the light emitting element 21).

The light receiving element 31 receives light and outputs a current corresponding to the amount of received light. The specific example of the light receiving element 31 is not specifically limited, For example, a photodiode (PD), a phototransistor (PTr), a solar cell etc. are mentioned.

The first light guide 50 has a function of guiding the light incident from the conveyance path 11 toward the reflection section 40 and guides the light reflected by the reflection section 40 toward the conveyance path 11. It has a function. The first light guide 50 includes a columnar light guide 51 provided to be inclined toward the light emitting unit 20 with respect to a direction L10 orthogonal to the transport path 11 and a direction L10 orthogonal to the transport path 11. It has a structure in which a cylindrical light guide 52 provided to be inclined toward the light receiving unit 30 is connected in a V shape by the reflection unit 40. The end surface of the first light guide 50 on the transport path 11 side is a flat surface and is disposed in parallel with the transport path 11. That is, the end surface of the first light guide 50 on the transport path 11 side is a plane parallel to the transport path 11 and has a shape that is obtained by obliquely cutting a cylindrical light guide. . The surface of the first light guide 50 on the reflecting portion 40 side of the V-shaped connecting portion is a plane parallel to the transport path 11 and is in contact with the reflecting surface of the reflecting portion 40.

The second light guide 60 has a function of guiding light emitted from the light emitting unit 20 toward the transport path 11. The second light guide 60 is configured by a columnar light guide provided to be inclined toward the reflecting portion 40 with respect to the direction L10 orthogonal to the transport path 11. One end surface of the second light guide 60 is a flat surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second light guide 60 and is in contact with the light emitting unit 20, and the other end surface is a flat surface. Are arranged in parallel. That is, the other end surface (end surface on the transport path 11 side) of the second light guide 60 is a surface parallel to the transport path 11 and is shaped like a cylindrical light guide cut obliquely. ing.

The third light guide 70 has a function of guiding light incident from the transport path 11 toward the light receiving unit 30. The third light guide 70 is configured by a columnar light guide provided to be inclined toward the reflecting portion 40 with respect to the direction L10 orthogonal to the transport path 11. One end surface of the third light guide 70 is a flat surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the third light guide 70 and is in contact with the light receiving unit 30, and the other end surface is a flat surface. Are arranged in parallel. That is, the other end surface (end surface on the transport path 11 side) of the third light guide 70 is a surface parallel to the transport path 11 and is shaped like a cylindrical light guide cut obliquely. ing.

The first light guide 50, the second light guide 60, and the third light guide 70 are each formed of a transparent resin. Specific examples of the transparent resin include an acrylic resin.

Next, the operation in this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 20 propagates through the second light guide 60, and the second light guide 60 and the conveyance path 11 in contact with the second light guide 60. The light enters the transport path 11 with an incident angle of angle θ ₂ and a refraction angle of angle θ ₃ with respect to the interface. Here, since the surface of the second light guide 60 on the transport path 11 side is parallel to the transport path 11, the light incident on the transport path 11 has an optical axis L 1 orthogonal to the transport path 11 in the transport path 11. Direction L10 and an angle θ ₃ = θ ₁ .

Since the surface of the first light guide 50 on the conveyance path 11 side is parallel to the conveyance path 11, the light incident on the conveyance path 11 propagates in the conveyance path 11 and makes contact with the conveyance path 11. With respect to the interface with the first light guide 50, the light enters the first light guide 50 with an incident angle of an angle θ ₄ = θ ₁ and a refraction angle of an angle θ ₅ . The light incident on the first light guide 50 is specularly reflected by the reflecting portion 40 provided in parallel with the transport path 11 and propagates again toward the transport path 11. Also here, the surface of the first light guide 50 on the side of the conveyance path 11 is parallel to the conveyance path 11, so that the light reflected by the reflection unit 40 is reflected between the first light guide 50 and the first light guide 50. With respect to the interface with the conveyance path 11 in contact, the incident angle is an angle θ _{6, and} an incident angle θ ₇ = θ ₁ is incident on the conveyance path 11. That is, the light traveling from the reflection unit 40 to the transport path 11 also forms an angle θ ₇ = θ ₁ with the direction L 10 in which the optical axis L 1 is orthogonal to the transport path 11 in the transport path 11. Since the surface of the third light guide 70 on the conveyance path 11 side is parallel to the conveyance path 11, the light incident on the conveyance path 11 propagates through the conveyance path 11 and makes contact with the conveyance path 11 and the conveyance path 11. With respect to the interface with the third light guide 70, the light enters the third light guide 70 with an incident angle of angle θ ₈ = θ ₁ and a refraction angle of angle θ ₉ . The light incident on the third light guide 70 finally enters the light receiving unit 30. In this specification, the angles θ _{1 to} θ ₉ and the later-described θ _{1A and} θ _1B are angles on the acute angle side that the optical axis L1 of the light makes with the direction L10 orthogonal to the transport path 11. Moreover, since the refractive index of the 1st light guide 50, the 2nd light guide 60, and the 3rd light guide 70 is larger than the refractive index of air, the 1st light guide 50, the 2nd light guide 60, and The angles θ ₅ , θ ₆ , θ _2, and θ ₉ formed by the optical axis L 1 in the third light guide 70 and the direction L 10 orthogonal to the transport path 11 are respectively determined by the optical axis L 1 in the transport path 11 (air). It is smaller than the angles θ ₄ , θ ₇ , θ _3, and θ ₈ formed with the direction L 10 orthogonal to the transport path 11.

Thus, the light emitting unit 20, the optical axis L1 is the direction L10 perpendicular to the conveying path 11 60 ° or more in the conveying path 11, the light toward the conveyance path 11 at an angle theta ₁ is less than 90 ° Irradiate. As a result, since the light from the light emitting unit 20 obliquely crosses the paper sheet 1, the reflectance on the surface of the transparent part 2 is increased and transmitted when entering the transparent part 2 and when exiting from the transparent part 2. As the light decreases, the apparent transmittance of the transparent portion 2 also decreases. As a result, it is possible to increase the difference in the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 30 between the transparent part 2 of the paper sheet 1 and the part where the paper sheet 1 itself is not present, so that the transparent part 2 of the paper sheet 1 is detected. Capability can be improved.

The angle θ ₁ is preferably 70 ° or more. By setting it as such an aspect, it becomes possible to reduce effectively the transmittance | permeability of the light which permeate | transmits the transparent part 2, and it becomes possible to detect the paper sheet 1 which has the transparent part 2 still more reliably. .

Next, the detection method of the paper sheet 1 will be described in detail.

The light receiving unit 30 includes a detection unit (not shown) that detects the paper sheet 1 based on the output current of the light receiving element 31. Specifically, when the paper sheet 1 does not exist on the optical axis of the light irradiated by the light emitting unit 20, that is, at the first medium detection position P1 and the second medium detection position P2 in the conveyance path 11, the light is conveyed. The light passes through the path 11 and is received by the light receiving unit 30 without being attenuated by the paper sheet 1. The first medium detection position P1 is positioned between the light emitting unit 20 and the reflection unit 40, and the second medium detection position P2 is positioned between the light receiving unit 30 and the reflection unit 40. On the other hand, when the opaque portion 3 of the paper sheet 1 exists on the optical axis of the light irradiated by the light emitting unit 20, that is, at least one of the first medium detection position P1 and the second medium detection position P2, At least a part is shielded from light by the opaque portion 3. Therefore, the light transmitted through the opaque portion 3 is attenuated, and the attenuated light is received by the light receiving unit 30. Further, when the transparent portion 2 of the paper sheet 1 exists on the optical axis of the light irradiated by the light emitting unit 20, that is, at least one of the first medium detection position P1 and the second medium detection position P2, the angle θ _1. Since the light from the light emitting unit 20 irradiated so that the angle is 60 ° or more and less than 90 ° obliquely crosses the paper sheet 1, it is transparent when entering the transparent portion 2 and when emitting from the transparent portion 2. As the reflectance at the surface of the portion 2 increases and the transmitted light decreases, the apparent transmittance of the transparent portion 2 also decreases. As a result, the light transmitted through the transparent portion 2 of the paper sheet 1 is attenuated, and the attenuated light is received by the light receiving portion 30.

Therefore, the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 30 is greater when the transparent part 2 or the opaque part 3 of the paper sheet 1 is present on the optical axis of light than when the paper sheet 1 is not present on the optical axis of light. The output value of the light receiving element 31, for example, the output current, becomes smaller in the latter case than in the former case. For this reason, the detection unit can detect the paper sheet 1 based on the amount of light received by the light receiving element 31, that is, the output signal of the light receiving element 31.

Preferably, the detection unit detects the paper sheet 1 based on the attenuation rate of the output signal of the light receiving element. More specifically, in this case, first, the detection unit acquires the output value of the light receiving element 31 at a stage before the paper sheet 1 is conveyed, and records it in the storage unit (not shown) as an initial value. deep. Thereafter, the detection unit sequentially acquires the output value of the light receiving element 31 in a predetermined cycle while the paper sheet 1 is being conveyed. In addition, the detection unit calculates the attenuation rate of each output value acquired with respect to the initial value by the following equation.
Attenuation rate (%) = (initial value−output value) / initial value × 100
The detection unit determines that the sheet 1 exists when the attenuation rate is equal to or greater than the threshold value stored in the storage unit, and determines that the sheet 1 does not exist when the attenuation rate is less than the threshold value. By determining, the paper sheet 1 is detected.

The paper sheet passage detection device 10 according to the present embodiment performs light emission and light reception as described above, and detects the presence or absence of the paper sheet 1 being conveyed in the conveyance path 11. That is, the sheet 1 is conveyed, and the first medium detection position P1 positioned between the light emitting unit 20 and the reflecting unit 40 and the second medium positioned between the light receiving unit 30 and the reflecting unit 40. When passing through at least one of the medium detection positions P2, the amount of light (the amount of received light) received by the light receiving unit 30 changes. At this time, the presence or absence of the paper sheet 1 can be detected by measuring the change in the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 30. As described above, the paper sheet passage detection device 10 includes the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 30 arranged on one side of the conveyance path 11, and the reflection arranged in parallel with the conveyance path 11 on the other side of the conveyance path 11. Since the sheet 40 can be detected at the two medium detection positions P1 and P2 by using one set of the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 30, It is possible to simplify the structure of the apparatus by reducing the quantity used, to make the structure inexpensive, and to detect the paper sheet 1 having the transparent portion 2 at a plurality of locations on the transport path 11. Further, by reducing the number of sensors used, the paper sheet passage detection device 10 can have a structure with a high degree of mechanical freedom.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in the paper sheet passage detection device 10 according to the present embodiment, the optical axis L <b> 1 is inclined with respect to the direction L <b> 10 orthogonal to the transport path 11 in the transport path 11, and the transport path is By disposing the reflecting portion 40 parallel to the transport path 11 at a position separated from the head 11 by a predetermined distance D1, the reflecting position R1 by the reflecting portion 40 is set to be more than the reflecting position R2 by the specular reflecting portion 4 of the paper sheet 1. It is possible to provide it separately from the light emitting unit 20. As a result, even when the specular reflection part 4 such as a hologram is present on the paper sheet 1, the light receiving part 30 can be disposed at a position where it is difficult to receive the reflected light M from the specular reflection part 4. It is possible to prevent the unit 30 from receiving the reflected light M from the specular reflection unit 4 and erroneously detecting that there is no paper sheet 1, and the detection ability of the paper sheet 1 can be improved. In FIG. 5, the paper sheet 1 is conveyed through the paper sheet passage detection device 10 from the front of the paper to the back of the paper or from the back of the paper to the front of the paper.

Although the distance D1 between the conveyance path 11 and the reflection part 40 is not specifically limited, It is preferable that it is 1 time or more of the distance between the conveyance guides 12, it is more preferable that it is 2 times or more, and it is 3 times or more. More preferably it is.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the light receiving unit 30 is disposed at a position separated from the transport path 11 by a predetermined distance D2. By adopting such an aspect, the light receiving unit 30 is disposed at a position where it is more difficult to receive the reflected light M from the specular reflecting unit 4 even when the specular reflecting unit 4 is present on the paper sheet 1. Therefore, the detection ability of the paper sheet 1 can be further improved.

The distance D2 between the transport path 11 and the light receiving unit 30 is not particularly limited, but is preferably at least 1 time, more preferably at least 2 times, and more than 3 times the distance between the transport guides 12. More preferably it is.

The paper sheet passage detection device 10 according to the present embodiment includes the first light guide 50 provided between the conveyance path 11 and the reflection unit 40, thereby allowing light incident on the reflection unit 40 from the conveyance path 11. And the angle of the light incident on the conveyance path 11 from the reflecting unit 40 can be adjusted, and the distance between the light receiving unit 30 and the light emitting unit 20 can be reduced. As a result, the paper sheet passage detection device 10 can be reduced in size.

In addition, the paper sheet passage detection device 10 according to the present embodiment is provided with a second light guide provided between the conveyance path 11 and the light emitting unit 20 and between the conveyance path 11 and the light receiving unit 30, respectively. 60 and the third light guide 70 are further adjusted to adjust the angle of light incident on the transport path 11 from the light emitting section 20 and the angle of light incident on the light receiving section 30 from the transport path 11, and the light receiving section 12. The distance between the light emitting unit 20 and the light emitting unit 20 can be reduced. As a result, the paper sheet passage detection device 10 can be reduced in size.

The light emitted from the light emitting unit 20 is preferably incident on the transport path 11 from the second light guide 60 at an incident angle less than the critical angle. That is, the angle θ ₂ is preferably less than the critical angle with respect to the transport path 11 (air) of the second light guide 60. By setting it as such an aspect, it becomes possible to propagate the light irradiated from the light emission part 20 to the conveyance path 11 and the reflection part 40 more reliably.

The light reflected by the reflecting unit 40 is preferably incident on the transport path 11 from the first light guide 50 at an incident angle less than the critical angle. That is, the angle θ ₆ is preferably less than the critical angle with respect to the transport path 11 (air) of the first light guide 50. By setting it as such an aspect, it becomes possible to propagate the light reflected by the reflection part 40 to the conveyance path 11 and the light-receiving part 30 more reliably.

In addition to the configuration described above, the paper sheet passage detection device 10 includes a conventionally known light source control unit (not shown) that controls the light emission of the light emitting unit 20 and a conventionally known output adjustment that adjusts the output of the light receiving unit 30. Part (not shown) and the like.

Although the use of the paper sheet passage detection device 10 is not particularly limited, for example, a timing sensor of a paper sheet identification device such as a banknote recognition device, that is, a sensor for determining the timing of the identification processing of the paper sheet identification device is cited. It is done. In this case, it is possible to prevent the paper sheet identification apparatus from executing the identification process of the paper sheet 1 having the transparent portion 2 at an incorrect timing. Other applications include a sensor that detects the paper sheet 1 that is transported in a paper sheet processing apparatus such as a banknote deposit and withdrawal device. In this case, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as false jams in the paper sheet processing apparatus. Moreover, it is preferable that the paper sheet passage detection device 10 detects at least one of the passage, arrival, and presence / absence of the paper sheet 1. The false jam is a phenomenon in which even if the paper sheet 1 is not actually jammed, the paper sheet processing apparatus determines that it is jammed and stops due to an abnormality of the optical sensor itself.

The contents of the identification processing of the paper sheet identification device are not particularly limited. For example, the type of the paper sheet 1 (denomination in the case of banknotes) is identified, whether the paper sheet 1 is true or false, and the paper sheet. Various functions such as reading of symbols such as numbers and characters printed on class 1 can be mentioned.

As described above, the paper sheet passage detection device 10 according to the above-described embodiment is a paper sheet passage detection device 10 that optically detects the passage of the paper sheet 1 transported in the transport path 11. disposed on one side of the conveying path 11, and the optical axis L1 is the direction L10 perpendicular to the conveying path 11 60 ° or more in the conveying path 11, toward the conveyance path 11 at an angle theta ₁ is less than 90 ° The light emitting unit 20 that emits light and the other side of the conveyance path 11 are arranged in parallel to the conveyance path 11 at a position separated from the conveyance path 11 and the light emitted from the light emission unit 20 is emitted. The reflection part 40 which reflects, and the light-receiving part 30 which receives the light arrange | positioned at the said one side of the conveyance path 11, and reflected by the reflection part 40 are provided.

Optical axis L1 is the direction L10 perpendicular to the conveying path 11 60 ° or more in the conveying path 11, by using a light-emitting portion 20 that emits light toward the transportation path 11 so as to form an angle theta ₁ is less than 90 ° Since the light from the light emitting section 20 obliquely crosses the paper sheet 1, the distance of the light passing through the transparent section 2 of the paper sheet 1 is increased, the transmittance is decreased, and the light enters the transparent section 2. In addition, when the light is emitted from the transparent portion 2, the reflectance at the surface of the transparent portion 2 is increased and the transmitted light is reduced, so that the apparent transmittance of the transparent portion 2 is also lowered. As a result, it is possible to increase the difference in the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 30 between the transparent part 2 of the paper sheet 1 and the part where the paper sheet 1 itself is not present, so that the transparent part 2 of the paper sheet 1 is detected. Capability can be improved.

Further, the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 30 arranged on one side of the conveyance path 11 and the reflection unit 40 arranged in parallel to the conveyance path 11 on the other side of the conveyance path 11 make one set. Since the paper sheet 1 can be detected at two medium detection positions P1 and P2 using the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 30, the number of sensors used is reduced and the structure of the apparatus is simplified. In addition to the inexpensive configuration, it is possible to detect the paper sheet 1 having the transparent portion 2 at a plurality of locations on the transport path 11.

Further, in the transport path 11, the optical axis L ₁ forms an angle θ ₁ of 60 ° or more and less than 90 ° with the direction L 10 orthogonal to the transport path 11, and at a position separated from the transport path 11 by a predetermined distance. By disposing the reflecting part 40 in parallel with the transport path 11, it is possible to provide the reflection position R <b> 1 by the reflection part 40 farther from the light emitting part 20 than the reflection position R <b> 2 by the specular reflection part 4 of the paper sheet 1. Become. As a result, even when the specular reflection part 4 such as a hologram is present on the paper sheet 1, the light receiving part 30 can be disposed at a position where it is difficult to receive the reflected light M from the specular reflection part 4. It is possible to prevent the unit 30 from receiving the reflected light M from the specular reflection unit 4 and erroneously detecting that there is no paper sheet 1, and to improve the detection capability of the paper sheet 1.

(Embodiment 2)
In the present embodiment, features unique to the present embodiment will be mainly described, and the description overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted. Moreover, in this embodiment and Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member which has the same or the same function, and description of the member is abbreviate | omitted in this embodiment. The present embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment except for the points described below.

In the present embodiment, a pair of paper sheet passage detection devices (a pair of medium passage detection devices) 100 including two paper leaf passage detection devices 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the pair of paper sheet passage detection devices 100 according to the present embodiment includes two paper sheet passage detection devices 10 (paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B) according to the first embodiment. The two reflectors 40A and 40B in the two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B are positioned on the opposite sides of the transport path 11, and one of the two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B has two In order to detect the passage of the paper sheet 1 at the medium detection positions PA1 and PA2, and the other detects the passage of the paper sheet 1 at the same two positions PB1 and PB2 as the two medium detection positions PA1 and PA2. Be placed. More specifically, of the two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B, the light emitting unit 20A and the light receiving unit 30A in one paper sheet passage detection device 10A are located below the conveyance path 11, and the reflection unit 40A is conveyed. The light emitting unit 20B and the light receiving unit 30B in the other paper sheet passage detection device 10B are disposed on the upper side of the path 11, and the reflecting unit 40B is disposed on the lower side of the transport path 11. In one paper sheet passage detection device 10A, the light emitting unit 20A forms an angle θ _1A of 60 ° or more and less than 90 ° with the direction L10 in the transport path 11 where the optical axis L1A is orthogonal to the transport path 11. In the other paper sheet passage detection device 10B, the light emitting unit 20B is 60 ° or more in a direction L10 in which the optical axis L1B is orthogonal to the conveyance path 11 in the conveyance path 11, Light is irradiated toward the conveyance path 11 so as to form an angle θ _1B of less than 90 °.

By setting it as such an aspect, as shown in FIG. 6, one medium detection position can be determined with two paper sheet passage detection apparatuses 10A and 10B. That is, it is possible to determine the presence / absence of the paper sheet 1 with the two optical axes L1A and L1B per medium detection position. Specifically, when at least one of the detection results of the two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B (two detection units) has the paper sheet 1, it is determined that the paper sheet 1 exists. In both cases, when there is no paper sheet 1, it is determined that the paper sheet 1 does not exist. As a result, even if the paper sheet 1 is conveyed in an inclined state due to bending or the like, the two optical axes L1A and L1B are monitored, and the paper sheet 1 is determined based on the result of the larger attenuation amount. Therefore, the detection ability of the paper sheet 1 can be further improved.

For example, when the paper sheet 1 bent in the state shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is conveyed, the light having the optical axis L1A is transmitted to the paper sheet 1 at each medium detection position PA1, PB1, PA2, PB2. Is incident at a large angle θ _2A with respect to the transparent portion 2, and when the light is incident on the transparent portion 2 and emitted from the transparent portion 2, the reflectance on the surface of the transparent portion 2 is increased and the transmitted light is attenuated. The attenuation of the transmittance of the part 2 is increased. On the other hand, the light having an optical axis L1B, since incident at a small angle theta _2B with respect to the paper sheet 1, the reflectance does not increase much in the transparent portion 2, the attenuation of the transmittance is small. Therefore, it can be determined that there is the paper sheet 1 based on the result of the paper sheet passage detection device 10A having a large transmittance attenuation amount between the two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B. As described above, the pair of paper sheet passage detection devices 100 according to this embodiment is not easily affected by the conveyance state of the paper sheet 1 and has an excellent detection capability.

Note that the two light emitting units 20A and 20B in the two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B may be arranged to face each other via the transport path 11 or may be arranged to face each other. By making the refractive indexes of the two second light guides 60A and 60B different from each other or by tilting the two second light guides 60A and 60B at different angles with respect to the transport path 11, two The light emitting units 20A and 20B can be shifted without being opposed to each other.

Similarly, the two light receiving units 30A and 30B in the two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B may be arranged to face each other via the transport path 11 or may be arranged to face each other. By making the refractive indexes of the two third light guides 70A and 70B different from each other, or by tilting the two third light guides 70A and 70B with respect to the transport path 11 at different angles, The light receiving portions 30A and 30B can be shifted without being opposed to each other.

Further, in the two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B, the two reflecting portions 40A and 40B may be arranged to face each other via the conveyance path 11 or may be arranged not to face each other. By making the refractive indexes of the two first light guides 50A and 50B different from each other or by tilting the two first light guides 50A and 50B with respect to the transport path 11 at different angles, The reflecting portions 40A and 40B can be shifted without being opposed to each other.

As described above, the pair of paper sheet passage detection devices 100 according to the present embodiment includes two paper sheet passage detection devices 10 according to the first embodiment, and includes two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B. The two reflecting portions 40A and 40B are located on the opposite sides of the conveyance path 11, and one of the two paper sheet passage detection devices 10A and 10B passes through the paper sheet 1 at two medium detection positions PA1 and PA2. , And the other is arranged such that the passage of the paper sheet 1 is detected at the same two positions PB1 and PB2 as the two medium detection positions PA1 and PA2.

By setting it as such an aspect, it becomes possible to determine the presence or absence of the paper sheet 1 with the two optical axes L1A and L1B per medium detection position. As a result, even when the paper sheet 1 is transported in an inclined state due to creases or the like, the presence or absence of the paper sheet 1 is monitored according to the result of monitoring the two optical axes and having the larger attenuation amount. Therefore, the detection ability of the paper sheet 1 can be further improved.

(Embodiment 3)
In the present embodiment, features unique to the present embodiment will be mainly described, and the description overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted. Moreover, in this embodiment and Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member which has the same or the same function, and description of the member is abbreviate | omitted in this embodiment. The present embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment except for the points described below.

In the present embodiment, a pair of paper sheet passage detection devices (a pair of medium passage detection devices) 200 including two paper sheet passage detection devices 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the pair of paper sheet passage detection devices 200 according to the third embodiment includes two paper sheet passage detection devices 10 (paper sheet passage detection devices 10C and 10D) according to the first embodiment. The two sheet passage detection devices 10C and 10D, in which the reflection units 40C and 40D are arranged on the upper side of the conveyance path 11, and the light emitting units 20C and 20D and the light receiving units 30C and 30D are arranged on the lower side of the conveyance path 11, These are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction of the transport path 11.

By adopting such an aspect, as shown in FIG. 9, it becomes possible to detect the paper sheet 1 at the four medium detection positions PC1, PC2, PD1, and PD2, and the detection capability of the paper sheet 1 is further enhanced. This can be further improved. In the pair of paper sheet passage detection devices 200, the distance D3 between the first medium detection position PC1 and the second medium detection position PC2 is set by the first light guide of the paper sheet passage detection device 10C. The second medium detection position PC2 and the first medium detection position PC2 can be adjusted by using the third light guide of the paper sheet passage detection device 10C and the second light guide of the paper sheet passage detection device 10D. It is possible to adjust the distance D4 between the first medium detection position PD1 and the second medium detection position PD2 by the first light guide of the paper sheet passage detection device 10D. It is possible to adjust the distance D5 between the two. Therefore, the medium detection positions PC1, PC2, PD1, and PD2 can be easily arranged at the same pitch with the distances D3 to D5 being equal to each other.

(Modification 1)
In the above embodiment, the case where the paper sheet 1 is transported in the short direction along the transport path 11 in the paper sheet processing apparatus has been described. However, the paper sheet 1 is transported in the paper sheet processing apparatus. May be conveyed in the longitudinal direction.

(Modification 2)
In the said embodiment, the 2nd light guide 60, the 3rd light guide 70, and the 1st light guide 50 are each provided between the light emission part 20, the light-receiving part 30, the reflection part 40, and the conveyance path 11. However, at least one of the second light guide 60, the third light guide 70, and the first light guide 50 may not be provided.

(Modification 3)
In the above embodiment, the light receiving unit 30 is disposed at a position separated from the transport path 11 by a predetermined distance D2. However, the light receiving unit 30 may be provided without being separated from the transport path 11 by setting D2 = 0 mm.

(Modification 4)
In the above embodiment, one set of the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 30 is arranged on one side of the conveyance path 11, and one reflection unit 40 is arranged on the other side of the conveyance path 11, thereby providing two places on the conveyance path 11. The medium detection positions are provided, but two or more reflection parts 40 are arranged for one set of the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 30 to provide three or more medium detection positions on the conveyance path 11. It is also possible. For example, like the paper sheet passage detection device 10E shown in FIG. 10, the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 30 are arranged on one side of the conveyance path 11, and the light emitting unit is interposed between the pair of light emitting units 20 and the light receiving unit 30. From the 20th side, the first reflector 40E1 and the first light guide 50E1 are on the other side of the transport path 11, the second reflector 40E2 and the first light guide 50E2 are on the one side of the transport path 11, and the third The aspect which arrange | positions the reflection part 40E3 and the 1st light guide 50E3 of this to the other side of the conveyance path 11 is mentioned. By setting it as such an aspect, the light irradiated from the light emission part 20 is reflected in each of the three reflection parts 40E1, 40E2, and 40E3 provided in the one side and other side of the conveyance path 11, and the light-receiving part 30 Therefore, the first, second, third and fourth medium detection positions P1, P2, P3 and P4 can be provided on the transport path 11. In this way, by providing two or more reflection units 40 for one set of the light emitting unit 20 and the light receiving unit 30, three or more medium detection positions can be provided in the conveyance path 11.

(Modification 5)
In the above embodiment, the case where the paper sheet 1 is detected as a medium has been described. However, it is also possible to detect a transparent sheet, a clear file for sealing, or the like as the medium.

As described above, the present invention is a technique useful for detecting the presence or absence of a medium by a medium passage detection device.

1: Paper sheets (medium)
2: Transparent part 2a, 2b: Clear window 3: Opaque part 4: Specular reflection part 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E: Paper sheet passage detection device (medium passage detection device)
11: transport path 12: transport guides 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D: light emitting unit 21: light emitting element 22, 32: housing 23, 33: terminal unit 24, 34: protective members 30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D: Light receiving part 31: Light receiving element 40, 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, 40E1, 40E2, 40E3: Reflecting part 50, 50A, 50B, 50E1, 50E2, 50E3: First light guide 51, 52: Light guide 60, 60A, 60B: second light guides 70, 70A, 70B: third light guide 80: rollers 100, 200: a pair of paper sheet passage detection devices (a pair of medium passage detection devices)
D1, D2, D3, D4, D5: Distance H: Height L1, L1A, L1B: Optical axis L10: Direction orthogonal to the transport path M: Reflected light P1, PA1, PB1, PC1, PD1: First medium detection Position P2, PA2, PB2, PC2, PD2: Second medium detection position P3: Third medium detection position P4: Fourth medium detection position R1, R2: Reflection positions θ ₁ , θ _1A , θ _1B , θ ₂ , Θ _2A , θ _2B , θ ₃ , θ ₄ , θ ₅ , θ ₆ , θ ₇ , θ ₈ , θ ₉ : Angle

Claims (8)

A medium passage detection device for optically detecting passage of a medium conveyed in a conveyance path,
Irradiates light toward the conveyance path so that the optical axis is disposed at one side of the conveyance path and the optical axis forms an angle of 60 ° or more and less than 90 ° with the direction orthogonal to the conveyance path in the conveyance path. A light emitting unit to
On the other side of the conveyance path, a reflection unit that is arranged in parallel to the conveyance path at a position separated from the conveyance path and reflects light emitted from the light emitting unit;
A medium passage detection device comprising: a light receiving portion that is disposed on the one side of the transport path and receives light reflected by the reflection portion. The medium passage detection device according to claim 1, further comprising a first light guide provided between the conveyance path and the reflection unit. The medium passing detection device according to claim 2, wherein the light reflected by the reflection unit is incident on the transport path from the first light guide at an incident angle less than a critical angle. The medium passage detection device according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving unit is disposed at a position separated from the transport path by a predetermined distance. The apparatus further comprises a second light guide and a third light guide provided between the transport path and the light emitting unit and between the transport path and the light receiving unit, respectively. The medium passage detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The medium passing detection device according to claim 5, wherein the light emitted from the light emitting unit is incident on the transport path from the second light guide at an incident angle less than a critical angle. The medium passage detection device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit emits infrared light. Including two medium passage detection devices according to claim 1,
The two reflecting portions of the two medium passage detection devices are located on opposite sides of the transport path,
The two medium passage detection devices are configured such that one detects the passage of the medium at two medium detection positions and the other detects the passage of the medium at the same two positions as the two medium detection positions. A pair of medium passage detection devices, which are arranged.

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