JP2023160824A - Paper sheet transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a paper sheet transport device that holds and transports a paper sheet between a presser plate and a receiving plate including an opening through which the presser plate can pass, separates the paper sheet from the receiving plate by passage of the presser plate through the opening of the receiving plate, and can prevent the paper sheet after separation from curling.SOLUTION: A receiving part 60 includes a pair of receiving plates with an interval (an opening 65), through which a presser plate 70 can pass, left therebetween. In a state where a paper sheet is held between the receiving part 60 and the presser plate 70, a control unit moves them to transport the paper sheet, and when the paper sheet is to be separated from the receiving part 60, moves them relatively such that the presser plate 70 passes through the opening 65. The receiving part 60 has pressing members 63 provided to extend in a direction in which the paper sheet is separated on opposite outer sides of the opening. After the paper sheet is separated, the control unit moves the receiving part 60 toward a stage part 81 having received the separated paper sheet to prevent the paper sheet from curling with the pressing members 63.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 51

Description

The present invention relates to a paper sheet conveying device that conveys paper sheets such as banknotes by sandwiching them between a receiving plate and a pressing plate.

Inside the gaming machine island, there are multiple sets of gaming ball rental machines that rent out gaming balls (pachinko balls, etc.) to players upon insertion of banknotes, and gaming machines such as pachinko machines. A conveying device is provided along the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island for transporting banknotes inserted into each gaming ball lending machine to a safe provided at the end of the gaming machine island.

In addition, store staff go around each game machine island after closing to collect the banknotes stored in the safes of each game machine island distributed within the game hall, and store them in the main safe located in the store's office. In order to alleviate this problem, a transportation system has been devised that collects banknotes from the safes of each gaming machine island in a gaming hall and transports them to the main safe of an office (see Patent Document 1 below).

This conveyance system temporarily stores banknotes collected from each game ball rental machine using the first conveyance device on the game machine island in a safe at the end of the island, and then transfers the temporarily stored banknotes from each safe to the office. transported to the main safe using the second transport device. A relay conveyance device is provided in the safe at the end of the island to transfer banknotes received from the first conveyance device to the second conveyance device.

The relay conveyance device transfers banknotes, which have been conveyed in a vertical position (paper side up) by the first conveyance device on the island, to a horizontal position, which is a banknote position suitable for conveying the banknotes from each gaming machine island to the office. The posture is changed to a posture in which the paper surface is laid down, and then sent to the second conveyance device.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 52, an attitude changing section is provided that includes a pair of opposing U-shaped members that accommodate and support both ends of a banknote, and the attitude changing section is made to stand by in a vertical attitude. Banknotes conveyed in a vertical posture from the intra-island conveyance device are received and stored between the opposing U-shaped members of the posture changing section. Thereafter, the attitude changing part is laid down to a horizontal attitude, and with the receiving plate placed directly below the attitude changing part, from above the attitude changing part, between the pair of opposing U-shaped members of the attitude changing part (the penetrating part ) in the elevator section. When the holding plate passes through the penetration part, the banknotes stored in the attitude changing part separate from the pair of opposing U-shaped members and fall onto the receiving plate.

The receiving plate is composed of two plates spaced apart enough for the attitude changing section to pass through, and both ends of the dropped banknote are supported by the two receiving plates. The presser plate and the receiving plate move down together at the same speed while remaining close to each other so as to hold the banknotes that have fallen from the attitude changing part. Then, when the conveyor reaches a little short of the destination, the receiving plate stops descending, and only the presser plate continues descending further. As a result, the presser plate passes between the two plates that make up the receiving plate, and at this time, the banknotes whose ends were supported by the two plates that make up the receiving plate are pressed by the presser plate and gradually curve. Eventually, both ends will come off the receiving plate, fall downward, and be stored in the storage section.

A conveyor belt is provided at the bottom of the storage section to discharge the stored banknotes in a direction parallel to the paper surface, and when the conveyor belt is driven, the lowest banknote stored at the bottom of the storage section is removed. , is fed out toward the second conveyance device. Note that when paying out banknotes from the storage section, the banknotes are pressed against the conveyor belt by a presser plate.

In addition, in the conveyance system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the upper surface of the two plates constituting the receiving plate and the lower surface of the holding plate are made of a material that has elasticity and has a frictional force against banknotes (for example, natural rubber ) is pasted thereon, and improvements have been made in that the inner (banknote passing side) ends of the two plates constituting the receiving plate are bent downward. This allows the banknotes to fall smoothly while being subjected to friction from the elastic sheet.

JP 2018-5492 Publication

However, in order to pass the presser plate between the two plates that make up the receiving plate, the gap between the two plates must be made wider than the width of the presser plate, and as a result, as shown in FIG. In some cases, the two receiving plates from the posture changing section cannot properly catch the bills, or the bills may fall between the two plates during conveyance, making it impossible for the bills to reach the storage section. There have been cases in which banknotes have become jammed, or the banknotes have been stored in a disordered manner in the storage section, making it difficult to properly feed out the banknotes with the conveyor belt at the bottom.

In addition, attempts have been made to make banknotes fall smoothly from the receiving plate by pasting elastic sheets on the top surface of the two plates that make up the receiving plate and on the bottom surface of the holding plate, but as shown in FIG. The above problem is not solved because the distance between the two receiving plates is wide. Furthermore, when the bill held between the receiving plate and the holding plate is removed from the receiving plate, that is, when the holding plate passes between the two receiving plates, it is desirable that the banknote be released from the receiving plate smoothly. It will be done. Further, the banknotes separated by the holding plate passing between the two receiving plates may curl strongly, and it is desirable to suppress the curling.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problem, and the paper sheets are held and conveyed between a presser plate and a receiving plate having an opening through which the presser plate can pass. It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper sheet conveying device capable of separating paper sheets from a receiving plate by passing through an opening in the receiving plate and suppressing curling of the paper sheets after separation.

The gist of the present invention to achieve this object resides in the following inventions.

[1] A receiving plate,
a holding plate capable of holding paper sheets between it and the receiving plate;
an opening provided in the receiving plate through which the pressing plate can pass;
a shutter that opens and closes the opening;
a moving mechanism that moves the receiving plate and the pressing plate;
a control unit;
has
The control unit transports the paper sheets by moving the receiving plate with the shutter closed and the pressing plate while holding the paper sheets between them, and removes the paper sheets being held. When separating from the receiving plate, open the shutter and relatively move the holding plate and the receiving plate so that the holding plate passes through the opening,
The receiving plate has pressing members extending in a direction in which the paper sheets are removed, on both outsides of the opening,
After separating the paper sheets, the control unit moves the receiving plate toward the paper sheets to suppress curling of the paper sheets with the pressing member.
A paper sheet conveying device characterized by:

According to the paper sheet conveying device according to the present invention, paper sheets can be held and conveyed between the holding plate and the receiving plate, and the holding plate passes through the receiving plate together with the held paper sheets, so that the holding plate It is possible to remove paper sheets from the machine. Further, it is possible to suppress curling of paper sheets after separation .

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an in-store layout of a game hall in which a paper sheet collection and conveyance system including a relay box to which the paper sheet conveyance device according to the present invention is applied is installed. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a paper sheet collection and transportation system. It is a figure showing a schematic structure of an island bill conveyance device. It is an explanatory view showing a state where a conveyance auxiliary body pushes a banknote in a conveyance pipe from the rear end side of the banknote. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a conveyance pipe in a straight portion (outward and return path portions). FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the conveying pipe in a straight line portion (outgoing and returning portions). It is a figure which shows the plane and front of a conveyance auxiliary body. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through the central axis of the conveyance auxiliary body in a state where the conveyance auxiliary body is inserted into the conveyance pipe. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the inside of the relay box. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a temporary storage device and a sub-transport device provided inside the relay box. 10 is a diagram showing the temporary storage device and the sub-transport device in the AA cross section of FIG. 9. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a posture changing section. FIG. 3 is a front view of the posture changing section. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating how the posture changing section rotates between a vertical posture and a horizontal posture. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the holding portion viewed diagonally from above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the holding portion viewed diagonally from below. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the attitude|position changing part and a holding|suppressing part in a horizontal position. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the receiving part as seen diagonally from above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the receiving portion viewed diagonally from below. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the receiving portion with the shutter opened downward. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the receiving portion with the shutter opened upward. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the receiving portion with the shutter closed. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the receiving portion with the shutter open downward. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the receiving portion with the shutter open upward. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating how the pressing plate passes through the receiving portion from top to bottom to open the shutter downward. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how the pressing plate passes through the receiving portion from bottom to top to open the shutter upward. It is a figure which shows the feeding-out conveyance part provided in the bottom part of a storage part. It is a figure which shows the holding|pressing part and conveyance stage when paying out the banknote in the bottom part of a storage part. It is a side view which shows the holding|pressing part and conveyance stage when paying out the banknote in the bottom part of a storage part. FIG. 29 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 29; It is a side view which shows the receiving part, the holding part, and the conveyance stage when paying out the banknote in the bottom part of the storage part. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an initial state in which the posture changing section waits for banknotes sent from the intermediate conveyance section. It is a figure which shows the state in which the attitude|position change part receives and accommodates a banknote in a vertical attitude|position from an intermediate|middle conveyance part. It is a figure which shows the state in which the attitude|position change part rotates and is displaced to a horizontal attitude|position while holding a banknote. It is a figure which shows the state when a holding|suppressing part descends and passes the penetration part of an attitude|position changing part. It is a figure which shows the state in which the banknote detached from the attitude|position change part is clamped between the holding|suppressing part and the receiving part, and is conveyed below. It is a figure which shows the state where the receiving part has reached the banknote adjustment position. 38 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the holding portion further descends from the state shown in FIG. 37 and pushes the shutter open; FIG. FIG. 39 is a perspective view showing the receiving part, the holding part, and the feeding and conveying part in the position shown in FIG. 38. 38 is a diagram showing a state in which the receiving portion is raised from the state shown in FIG. 37 and the bill is removed from the receiving portion. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the holding rollers have released the grip. 42 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the receiver is lowered to the bill adjustment position after FIG. 41 and the presser plate is lowered again to the position where the presser rollers clamp the bill. FIG. FIG. 43 is a perspective view showing the receiving part, the holding part, and the feeding and conveying part in the state shown in FIG. 42. 44 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 43. FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which finished paying|feeding out a banknote from the conveyance stage. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the shutter is pushed open by raising the holding part. FIG. 47 is a perspective view showing the receiving part, the pressing part, and the feeding and conveying part in the state shown in FIG. 46; It is a figure which shows the state where a receiving part stopped at a receiving position. It is a figure which shows the state where the holding|suppressing part further rises and reaches an initial position. It is a figure which shows the rolling-in of a banknote when there is no presser block. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how banknotes are prevented from being drawn in by a holding block. It is a figure which shows the case where the banknote detached from the attitude|position change part is not well received by two receiving plates in the conventional apparatus. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a case in which a banknote cannot be successfully removed from two receiving plates due to passage of a presser plate in a conventional device.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the interior layout of a game hall 2 in which a paper sheet collection and conveyance system 1 (see FIG. 2) including a relay box 6 to which a paper sheet conveyance device according to the present invention is applied is installed. Inside the game hall 2, a plurality of game machine islands 3 are arranged across aisles. Each gaming machine island 3 has a set of gaming ball lending machines 4, which rent out gaming balls (pachinko balls) to players in response to input of banknotes, and gaming machines 5, such as pachinko machines, placed back to back. Multiple sets are housed on the front and back sides. Inside the game machine island 3, an island banknote transport device 7 is provided which takes in the banknotes ejected from the back side of each game ball lending machine 4 and transports them to the relay box 6 at the end of the game machine island 3.

FIG. 2 shows an overview of the paper sheet collection and conveyance system 1. The paper sheet collection and conveyance system 1 includes an island banknote conveyance device 7 that collects paper sheets from the game ball rental machines 4 in each gaming machine island 3 and conveys them to a relay box 6 at the end of the island, and a relay box 6. A main conveyor device 8 is installed inside each store and conveys paper sheets to the office safe 41 by passing above the relay box 6 of each gaming machine island 3, and a main conveyor device 8 that conveys paper sheets to the safe 41 in the office and relays the banknotes fed out from the relay box 6. It is configured to include a sub-transport device 9 that transports the box 6 to the transport path of the main transport device 8 that passes above it. The conveyance path of the main conveyance device 8 is installed, for example, so as to pass through the ceiling of the game hall 2.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the island banknote conveying device 7. As shown in FIG. The island banknote transport device 7 includes a transport pipe 12 (inland transport pipe) that serves as a transport path for banknotes (paper sheets), and an air flow generator (blower) that generates an air flow flowing in the direction in which the transport pipe 12 extends. )14. The island banknote conveyance device 7 inserts a conveyance auxiliary body 16, which is movable within the conveyance pipe 12 in response to an air flow, into the conveyance pipe 12 upstream of the banknote P to be conveyed, and uses the conveyance auxiliary body 16 to move through the conveyance pipe 12. The banknotes P in 12 are pushed and moved from the rear and conveyed downstream.

Inside the relay box 6 provided at the end of the game machine island 3, an air flow generator 14 and a banknote separation/conveyance auxiliary body circulation device 11 are provided. The banknote separation/conveyance auxiliary body circulation device 11 has the function of a conveyance auxiliary body insertion device 11a that sends out the conveyance auxiliary body 16 into the conveyance pipe 12, and the function of the conveyance auxiliary body 16 that pushes and moves the banknote P from the rear. It has the function of a separation and collection device 11b that separates and collects each of the components, and also functions to return and circulate the collected transport auxiliary body 16 to the transport auxiliary body insertion device 11a. The banknotes P collected by the separation and collection device 11b are temporarily stored in the relay box 6, and then sent to the sub-transport device 9 (see FIG. 2).

The air blowing side (air blowing passage 14a) of the air flow generator 14 is connected to the air inlet side of the conveying auxiliary body insertion device 11a, and the starting end of the conveying pipe 12 is connected to the air outlet of the conveying auxiliary body insertion device 11a. has been done. The conveyance pipe 12 includes an outgoing path 12a extending from the air outlet of the conveyance auxiliary body insertion device 11a to the other end of the game machine island 3, and a turn portion 12b that is folded back into a U-shape at the other end. After turning back at the turn portion 12b, there is a return path 12c that extends above the outbound path 12a and returns to the relay box 6 along the outbound path 12a. The terminal end of the return path 12c is connected to the air inlet of the separation and recovery device 11b, and the air suction side (air suction passage 14b) of the air flow generator 14 is connected to the air outlet of the separation and recovery device 11b.

The airflow generator 14 generates an airflow by rotating a fan using a motor. The air flow generated by the air flow generator 14 flows from the air blowing passage 14a through the transport auxiliary body insertion device 11a to the starting end of the transport pipe 12, passes through the outward path 12a, the turn portion 12b, and the return path 12c, and then passes through the separation and recovery device 11b. , flows through the air suction passage 14b so as to be drawn into the suction side of the air flow generator 14.

The outgoing path 12a and the incoming path 12c of the transport pipe 12 have a predetermined length, for example, a length corresponding to the width of one set of gaming machines 5 and gaming ball rental machines 4 housed in the gaming machine island 3. The path length can be adjusted according to the length of the gaming machine island 3 in the longitudinal direction by connecting the necessary number of them with the connecting unit 17. Further, at the construction site, the conveyor pipe 12 is cut to the required length on the spot and used.

In the middle of the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12, a banknote capture device 18 is arranged at a position corresponding to each game ball rental machine 4 to take in banknotes P discharged from the back side of the game ball rental machine 4 into the transport pipe 12. It is set up. The banknote loading device 18 is configured to take in banknotes P from the game ball lending machine 4 placed on the front side of the game machine island 3, and to take in banknotes P from the game ball lending machine 4 placed on the back side of the game machine island 3. It is provided so as to form a pair with one that takes in banknotes P. The banknote retrieval device 18 is interposed between the transport pipes 12 constituting the return path 12c and serves to connect them.

In the island banknote transport device 7, the banknotes P taken into the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12 from the banknote retrieval device 18 stay at a predetermined take-in completion position with the paper surface aligned in the extending direction of the transport pipe 12. . The auxiliary conveyance body 16 is sent into the conveyance tube 12 by the auxiliary conveyance insertion device 11a in the relay box 6 in order to convey the banknotes P taken into the conveyance pipe 12 and collected therein to the relay box 6 and collect them. . The conveyance auxiliary body 16 sent into the conveyance pipe 12 moves in the outward path 12a toward the turn portion 12b under the action of the air flow generated by the air flow generator 14, and makes a U-turn at the turn portion 12b. After that, the robot further moves in the return path 12c toward the terminal end. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the conveyance auxiliary body 16 pushes and moves the banknote P in the conveyance tube 12 from the rear end side of the banknote P toward the terminal end of the conveyance tube 12 (as shown in the figure). The banknote P is transported (in the transport direction F).

The banknote separation/conveyance auxiliary body circulation device 11 and the banknote retrieval device 18 are controlled by a control unit 23 (see FIG. 3) whose main parts include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). ). In this example, the airflow generating device 14 is kept in operation at all times, and when the sensor provided in the bill capturing device 18 detects the bill P discharged from the back of the game ball lending machine 4, the control unit 23 controls the bill capturing device The device 18 is operated to take the bill P into the conveyance pipe 12. When this taking-in operation is completed, the auxiliary conveyance body 16 is sent into the conveyance pipe 12 from the auxiliary conveyance body insertion device 11a of the bill separation/auxiliary conveyance body circulation device 11. Then, this conveyance auxiliary body 16 moves within the conveyance tube 12 under the action of the air flow, pushes and moves the banknote P from behind, and conveys it. When the separating and collecting device 11b in the relay box 6 detects the arrival of the auxiliary conveyance body 16, it separates the bill P and the auxiliary conveyance body 16 and collects each of them, and the collected auxiliary conveyance body 16 is prepared for the next sending. The collected bills P are temporarily stored in the relay box 6 and then sent to the sub-transport device 9 (see FIG. 2).

Note that the air flow generator 14 is operated when necessary (for example, from the time when the bill receiving device 18 detects a bill from the game ball rental machine 3 until the bill is collected by the separating and collecting device 11b in the relay box 6). It may also be possible to control the operation so as to operate only during the interval).

In this way, the conveyance auxiliary body 16 moves under the action of the airflow, and the conveyance auxiliary body 16 pushes and moves the banknote P from the rear end side, so that the banknote P itself receives the airflow and receives a propulsive force. There is no need to obtain Therefore, the banknotes P can be conveyed by the airflow without taking measures such as bending the banknotes P to receive the airflow. Moreover, since the conveyance auxiliary body 16 can obtain propulsion force from the air flow more efficiently than the banknotes P, the banknotes P can be conveyed efficiently.

Next, the shapes of the conveyance pipe 12 and the conveyance auxiliary body 16 will be explained in detail.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the conveyance tube 12 in the straight section (the outward path 12a and the return path 12c), and FIG. FIG. The conveying tube 12 is made of resin and has a thickness of about 1.5 mm. The conveyance tube 12 is formed by extrusion molding, for example.

The cross-sectional shape of the straight portion of the conveying pipe 12 perpendicular to the extending direction F is such that the center portions of the left and right side walls of a vertically long rectangle expand outward into a rectangular shape. Specifically, the conveyance pipe 12 includes upper and lower wall portions 31, left and right side wall portions 32, and an extended portion 33 that projects outward in a rectangular shape at the center portion of the left and right side wall portions 32 in the vertical direction. In addition, in the substantially rectangular cross section perpendicular to the extending direction (transfer direction F) of the conveyance pipe 12, the short side direction is the X direction (or width direction, left and right direction), and the long side direction is the Y direction (or height direction, up and down direction). direction). In each of the X direction and the Y direction, the direction toward the center of the transport tube 12 is called the inside, and the direction from the center toward the inner wall is called the outside. In this embodiment, the transport tube 12 is used with its long side in the cross section facing up and down, but it may also be used with its short side facing up and down.

The expansion part 33 is divided into two parts, an upper part and an upper part, by a separation wall 34 which is erected toward the inner side of the transport pipe 12 . The separation wall 34 is formed by attaching a T-shaped member to the inner wall of the extended portion 33.

A plurality of ribs 35 are formed on the side wall portion 32 and extend along the conveying direction, protruding toward the inner side of the conveying tube 12 . In this example, a rib 35 that protrudes toward the inside of the conveyance tube 12 is formed at the boundary between the side wall portion 32 and the expanded portion 33 along the conveyance direction. The separation wall 34 is at the same height as the rib 35, and the top of the separation wall 34 acts as a rib.

The side wall portions 32 are a pair of inner walls facing the paper surface of the banknote P being conveyed. The banknote P has a rectangular shape and is transported in the transport tube 12 with its long side in the transport direction F. In other words, the paper surface faces the side wall portion 32 of the conveyance tube 12, and the banknote P is conveyed in such a direction that one short side of the banknote P is on the front end side in the conveyance direction and the other short side is on the rear end side.

The interval Dy between the upper and lower walls 31 of the conveyance tube 12 is made slightly longer than the short side of the banknote P. Further, the distance Dx between the left and right side wall portions 32 (portions where the ribs 35, the expanded portions 33, and the separation walls 34 are not formed (referred to as reference plane portions)) is set to about 21 mm. The expanded portions 33 provided on the left and right side wall portions 32 each extend approximately 6 mm outward from the side wall portion 32 (reference plane portion). The tops of the ribs 35 and the separation wall 34 have a height of approximately 2 mm inward from the side wall portion 32 (reference plane portion). The height of the rib 35 may be set appropriately.

FIG. 7 shows a plane and front view of the conveyance auxiliary body 16. The conveyance auxiliary body 16 has a columnar shape with a circular cross section and different diameters at each part. The conveyance auxiliary body 16 is used by being inserted into the conveyance tube 12 so that the central axis of the cylinder is in the Y direction (height direction) of the conveyance tube 12. The conveyance auxiliary body 16 has a vertically symmetrical shape, and in order from the top, a head 16a, a neck 16b having a slightly smaller diameter than the head, a large diameter portion 16c having a larger diameter than the head 16a, and a neck 16b having the same diameter. It has a constricted portion 16d located at the center of the upper and lower sides, a large diameter portion 16c, a neck portion 16b, and a head portion 16a. The transport auxiliary body 16 is lightweight and strong, and is made of, for example, plastic and has a hollow interior. Note that it may be formed of styrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, or the like as long as it is lightweight and durable.

FIG. 8 shows a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction F and passing through the central axis of the auxiliary conveyance body 16 in a state where the auxiliary conveyance body 16 is inserted into the conveyance pipe 12. The diameter of each part of the transport auxiliary body 16 corresponds to the shape of the inner edge of the transport pipe 12. That is, the cross-sectional shape of the conveyance auxiliary body 16 passing through the central axis corresponds to the shape of the inner edge of the conveyance tube 12 in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction F, and the inside of the conveyance tube 12 is separated from the inner wall. The shape is such that it is almost completely closed off with a predetermined clearance.

In this way, the conveyance auxiliary body 16 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner edge of the conveyance tube 12 (almost the same shape with some clearance) and closes almost the entire cross section of the conveyance tube 12, so that the effect of the air flow is reduced. You can receive and move efficiently. Furthermore, the conveyance auxiliary body 16 prevents airflow from upstream from reaching the downstream side of the conveyance auxiliary body 16, and plays the role of suppressing turbulence of the airflow on the downstream side.

The banknotes P tend to stick to the side wall portion 32 when acted upon by the airflow within the conveyance tube 12 . That is, the distance between one paper surface of the banknote P and the side wall portion 32 facing it is almost never equal, and the distance between the other paper surface and the side wall portion 32 facing this is almost never equal. If the gap is narrower than the other side, the airflow velocity will be faster on the narrower gap side than on the wider gap side, so the air pressure on the narrower gap side will be lower than the air pressure on the wider gap side, and this pressure difference will cause the banknote P to move closer to the side wall on the narrower gap side. 32 is attracted and pressed. In this case, the interval on the narrow interval side becomes even narrower, and a phenomenon occurs in which the banknotes P stick to and are attracted to the side wall portion 32.

If the banknote P sticks strongly to the side wall portion 32, it becomes difficult to push and move the banknote P with the transport auxiliary body 16, but as described above, the transport auxiliary body 16 blocks the flow of air to the downstream side ( Therefore, the force that sticks and attracts the banknotes P is reduced, and smooth conveyance is realized.

The two large diameter portions 16c of the conveyance auxiliary body 16 engage with each of the two expanded portions 33 separated by the separation wall 34 of the conveyance pipe 12. In this example, the expanded portion 33 is divided into two by the separation wall 34, and these expanded portions 33 are provided closer to the center of the transport tube 12 in the Y direction, so that the transport auxiliary body 16 can be maintained in a stable posture. It can be moved by Moreover, since the posture of the conveyance auxiliary body 16 is stabilized, the large diameter portion 16c of the conveyance auxiliary body 16 can appropriately abut against the rear end of the banknote P, thereby providing a stable conveyance force. Moreover, the banknotes P are less likely to be caught between the conveyance pipe 12 and the conveyance auxiliary body 16.

Further, by providing the large diameter portion 16c, the area of the portion of the conveyance auxiliary body 16 that is affected by the airflow is expanded, and the force for movement can be efficiently received. Further, since the large diameter portion 16c is provided to efficiently receive the effect of airflow, the diameter of the head 16a can be reduced accordingly. By reducing the diameter of the head, the interval (width (Dx)) between the pair of opposing side walls 32 in the conveyance tube 12 can be narrowed, and banknotes P can be prevented from falling.

Furthermore, the presence of the plurality of ribs 35 provided on the side wall portion 32 prevents the banknotes P from sticking tightly to the side wall portion 32. That is, the contact area between the banknote P and the side wall portion 32 is reduced, friction is reduced, and generation of static electricity can be suppressed. Further, even if the banknote P sticks to the side wall 32, the banknote P is supported by the tip of the rib 35, so a gap is secured between the side wall 32 and the banknote P around the rib 35, Sticking force can be kept small. Further, since the banknotes P are supported by the separation wall 34, the banknotes P are prevented from falling into the recesses of the expansion portion 33.

Further, the plurality of ribs 35 and the tops of the separation walls 34 that protrude inward from the side wall portions 32 are arranged so that the actual passage width W of the banknotes P in the width direction (X direction) of the conveyance tube 12 is determined by the reference plane distance Dx It plays a role in making it narrower. This makes it difficult for the banknotes P to fall sideways within the transport tube 12, and the posture of the banknotes P is maintained along the Y direction. In particular, by providing a plurality of ribs 35, the banknotes P are appropriately prevented from falling down, and the banknotes P are also effectively prevented from sticking to the side wall portion 32. Note that Dx can be increased by an amount corresponding to the provision of the ribs 35, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area of the conveyance tube 12 and making the conveyance auxiliary body 16 more susceptible to the action of air flow.

In the case of the conveyance auxiliary body 16 according to the present embodiment, since the diameter of the large diameter portion 16c is the largest, as shown in FIG. Become.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the transport tube 12 of the island banknote transport device 7 is in a vertical position, and the banknotes P are transported inside the transport pipe 12 of the island banknote transport device 7 with the paper surface upright. Ru. In the game machine island 3, in order to increase the number of machines installed, the game ball lending machine 4 is formed with a narrow front width, so the bill slot provided in the game ball lending machine 4 is also usually vertically long. The banknote P is inserted into the banknote slot with the paper side upright. Therefore, the transport pipe 12 of the island banknote transport device 7 receives the banknotes P from the game ball rental machine 4 with the paper side upright in the vertical position, and transports the banknotes P in the vertical position.

The main conveyance device 8 has a main conveyance pipe 40 having the same structure as the conveyance pipe 12 of the island banknote conveyance device 7 as a conveyance path (see FIG. 2), and uses the airflow generated in the main conveyance pipe 40 to transport auxiliary objects. 16 is moved, and this conveyance auxiliary body 16 pushes and conveys the bill P from behind. The main transport pipe 40 of the main transport device 8 is installed in a horizontal position in which the Y direction in FIG. 6 is the horizontal direction so that the banknotes P can smoothly move through curved parts in the vertical direction.

The main transport device 8 includes an air flow generator 14, a transport auxiliary body insertion device 11a, and a separation and collection device 11b in a safe 41. Further, since the path length of the main conveyance pipe 40 becomes long, a blower 42 or the like is provided in the middle of the conveyance path to enhance the air flow. In the main transport device 8, a relay device 44 is provided at the end of the outgoing path of the main transport pipe 40 as a substitute for the turn section 12b in the island banknote transport device 7. The relay device 44 has the function of receiving the auxiliary conveyance body 16 coming from the outward path of the main conveyance pipe 40 , once holding it, and then sending it out to the return path of the main conveyance pipe 40 . Further, the relay device 44 functions to strengthen the air flow by sucking air from the end of the outbound path of the main conveyance pipe 40 and sending the air flow to the start end of the return path.

In the middle of the return path of the main transport pipe 40 configuring the transport path of the main transport device 8 , there is provided a take-in device 45 for taking in banknotes P transported by the sub-transport device 9 into the main transport pipe 40 .

The sub-transport device 9 feeds out the banknotes P temporarily stored in the relay box 6 from the relay box 6, and transfers them to a take-in device 45 provided on the return path of the main conveyance pipe 40 extending above the ceiling or the like. Transport to. The sub-transport device 9 includes a sub-transport pipe 91 having the same structure as the transport pipe 12 of the island banknote transport device 7 as a transport path, and transports the banknotes P by pushing them up using a transport auxiliary body 16 that moves with an air flow.

Note that the method of transporting the banknotes P in the island banknote transport device 7, the main transport device 8, and the sub-transport device 9 is not limited to the method of using an air flow and the transport auxiliary body 16, and for example, the method of transporting the banknotes P with a transport belt is Any method may be used, such as a method to do so.

Next, the relay box 6 will be explained.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing the inside of the relay box 6. As shown in FIG. Inside the relay box 6, there is a control unit 23 that controls the operations of the island banknote transport device 7 and the sub-transport device 9, a power supply unit 24 that supplies power to each device in the relay box 6 and the gaming machine island 3, and a transport system. An auxiliary body insertion device 11a, a separation and collection device 11b, an air flow generation device 14, etc. are installed. Furthermore, inside the relay box 6, there is a temporary storage device 50 that temporarily stores the banknotes P separated and collected by the separation and collection device 11b, and an intermediate conveyor that sends the banknotes P discharged from the separation and collection device 11b to the temporary storage device 50. 21, a part of the sub-transport device 9, etc. are provided. Below the relay box 6, there is provided an ascending air flow generator 92 that sends an air flow to the sub-transport pipe 91 of the sub-transport device 9.

The temporary storage device 50 converts the vertically oriented banknotes P received from the intermediate conveyance section 21 into a horizontally oriented one, and then transports them to the lower part of the storage section of the device and temporarily stores them. It has a function of sending the banknotes P one by one to the sub-transport device 9 at a predetermined timing.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the temporary storage device 50 and the sub-transport device 9 provided inside the relay box 6. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the temporary storage device 50 and the sub-transport device 9 in the AA cross section of FIG.

The temporary storage device 50 includes a posture converting section 51 that receives the banknotes P conveyed from the intermediate conveying section 21 in a vertical posture with the paper surface vertical, and converts the banknotes P into a horizontal posture with the paper surface horizontal; The elevator section 53 includes an elevator section 53 that transports banknotes P in a horizontal position to the bottom of the storage section 52, and a feed-out conveyance section 54 that discharges banknotes P in a horizontal position at the bottom of the storage section 52 in a horizontal position and feeds them out to the outside. ing.

The sub-transport device 9 receives the banknotes P fed out by the feed-out transport section 54, and transfers the banknotes P into the sub-transport pipe 91 at a location immediately above the transport auxiliary body 16 waiting at the bottom of the sub-transport pipe 91. send out. Thereafter, by activating the upward airflow generating section 92, an upward airflow is generated in the subconveyance pipe 91, the conveyance auxiliary body 16 rises, and the banknote P is pushed by the conveyance auxiliary body 16 from below. It ascends inside the conveyance pipe 91. Then, the banknotes P transported to the upper end of the sub-transport pipe 91 reach the take-in device 45 of the main transport device 8 and are taken in.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the attitude changing section 51, FIG. 13 is a front view of the attitude changing section 51, and FIG. 14 is a diagram showing how the attitude changing section 51 rotates between vertical and horizontal positions. The attitude changing unit 51 supports a pair of support arms 51a having a U-shaped cross section extending in a predetermined direction with their inner sides facing each other, and connecting the ends of the pair of support arms 51a on the same side. The base portion 51b is provided with a base portion 51b. The attitude changing unit 51 holds the banknote P received from the intermediate conveyance unit 21 by supporting both ends of the banknote P inside the pair of support arms 51a. The posture converting section 51 is standing by in a vertical posture, and as shown in FIG. 12, accepts the banknote P in the vertical posture conveyed from the intermediate conveying section 21 in the vertical posture. The space between the opposing support arms 51a is a through portion 51c through which a pressing plate 71, which will be described later, can pass. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, the posture converting unit 51 can be rotated about a shaft hole 51d protruding from both ends of the lower support arm 51a when in the vertical posture. Displaced in posture.

The elevator section 53 includes a receiving section 60 for supporting the banknotes P from below (downstream side in the transport direction), a holding section 70 for holding the banknotes P by sandwiching them between the receiving section 60, and a holding section 70 for holding the banknotes P in the storage section 52. It has a moving mechanism 56 that moves up and down (elevates and lowers).

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the holding portion 70 viewed diagonally from above, and FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the holding portion 70 viewed diagonally from below. The holding part 70 includes an elongated holding plate 71 that can pass through the penetration part 51c of the attitude changing part 51, a holding roller 72 provided to protrude from the tip of the holding plate 71, and a sheet-like sheet attached to the lower surface of the holding plate 71. An elastic sheet 73 made of an elastic material (such as rubber), a shutter opening/closing block 74 provided on the upper surface of the holding plate 71, and a bearing 75a through which the first guide rail 56a (see FIG. 10) of the moving mechanism 56 passes. A support arm 76 is provided which extends from the lift bearing part 75 and supports the pressing plate 71 at a predetermined distance from the lift bearing part 75 in parallel with the lift bearing part 75. The shutter opening/closing block 74 has a smooth surface and is made of a wear-resistant resin (for example, polyacetal resin). The lower end of the pressing roller 72 protrudes below the elastic sheet 73.

The holding part 70 has a substantially U-shape as a whole when viewed from above, and the lifting bearing part 75 and the holding plate 71 form two parallel sides, and the supporting arm 76 forms the side that connects these sides. It has become.

The first guide rail 56a of the moving mechanism 56 extends vertically along the outside of the side wall of the storage section 52 (see FIG. 10), and the lifting bearing section 75 attached to this first guide rail 56a also extends along the outside of the side wall of the storage section 52. It goes up and down along the outside of the side wall of 52. The pressing plate 71 supported by the support arm 76 on the lifting bearing part 75 moves up and down in the center of the storage part 52 in the width direction. The horizontal posture changing part 51 and the holding part 70 have a positional relationship as shown in FIG. 17, and when the holding part 70 is raised and lowered, the holding plate 71 passes through the penetration part 51c of the horizontal posture changing part 51. .

Next, the receiving section 60 of the elevator section 53 will be explained.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the receiving portion 60 viewed diagonally from above, and FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the receiving portion 60 viewed diagonally from below. The receiving part 60 includes a pair of receiving plates 61 extending parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the banknote with a space between them so as to hold both ends of the banknote P. It has a shutter 62 that can be opened and closed. The space between the pair of receiving plates 61 is an opening 65 through which the holding plate 71 of the holding part 70 can pass.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the receiver 60 with the shutter 62 open downward, FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the receiver 60 with the shutter 62 open upward, and FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the receiver 60 with the shutter 62 closed. 23 is a front view showing the receiving part 60 with the shutter 62 open downward, and FIG. 24 is a front view showing the receiving part 60 with the shutter 62 open upward.

The pair of receiving plates 61 are joined together at one end by a joining plate 61d. Each receiving plate 61 has an elongated rectangular plane part 61a and a hanging wall 61b extending downward from one long side end of the plane part. They are arranged in parallel and facing each other on the inside. A rod-shaped pressing block 63 with a substantially rectangular cross section is provided on the inside of the lower end of the hanging wall 61b (the surface that is inside the opening 65) and extends along the lower end of the hanging wall 61b. The lower end surface of the presser block 63 extends slightly downward from the lower end of the hanging wall 61b (or may be the same as the lower end), and the lower end surface of the presser block 63 serves as the lower end of the receiving portion 60. The holding block 63 is made of resin (for example, polyacetal resin) with a smooth surface. The lower end surface of the presser block 63 is inclined diagonally upward toward the end near the end of the banknote delivery side (the side where the joint plate 61d is also opened) where the delivery conveyance unit 54 sends out the banknotes (see FIG. (see 19). The lower end of the joining plate 61d terminates at a position above the lower end of the end of the presser block 63 on the banknote sending side, so as not to obstruct the sending out of the banknotes P.

Furthermore, an elevating bearing arm 64 is provided that protrudes outward from the outer surface of one of the hanging walls 61b and is provided with a bearing hole 64a through which the second guide rail 56b (see FIG. 10) of the moving mechanism 56 passes. The second guide rail 56b of the moving mechanism 56 extends vertically along the outside of the side wall of the storage section 52 opposite to the first guide rail 56a (see FIG. 10), and the lifting bearing arm 64 extends along the outside of the side wall of the storage section 52 on the opposite side from the first guide rail 56a. The bearing hole 64a extends to the outside of the side wall through a vertically elongated hole provided in the side wall, and the second guide rail 56b is inserted into the bearing hole 64a.

The shutter 62 is comprised of a double-opening door 62a placed on the flat surface 61a of the receiving plate 61. The shutter 62 opens at the center of the pair of receiving plates 61 in the width direction. Each door 62a of the shutter 62 is rotated by a bearing 66 provided on the back surface thereof being inserted into a rotating shaft 67 provided on the inside near the upper end of the hanging wall 61b of the receiving plate 61 (the surface on the inside of the opening 65). movably pivoted. Each door 62a of the shutter 62 is widened in a predetermined central range in the longitudinal direction of the receiving part 60 so as to extend to near the outer end (the end on the side without the hanging wall 61b) of the flat part 61a of the receiving plate 61. (See Figure 18). Each door 62a of the shutter 62 is made of resin (for example, polyacetal resin) with a smooth surface.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 22, the shutter 62 is normally biased by a spring to be in a closed state. The shutter 62 opens downward as shown in FIGS. 20, 23, and 25 when the holding plate 71 passes through the opening 65 from top to bottom, and when the holding plate 71 passes through the opening 65 from bottom to top. At this time, it opens upward as shown in FIGS. 21, 24, and 26.

FIG. 27 shows the feeding conveyance section 54 provided at the bottom of the storage section 52. As shown in FIG. The feeding conveyance section 54 includes a flat conveyance stage 81 that forms the bottom of the storage section 52 . An elongated notch is provided at one end (bill delivery side) of the conveyance stage 81 in the longitudinal direction of the conveyance stage, and a conveyance belt 82 stretched in the longitudinal direction of the notch is inserted into the notch. It is provided so as to slightly protrude from the stage 81 into the storage section 52. Further, the feed-out conveyance section 54 includes a discharge roller 83, etc., which pinches the banknote P fed out from the bottom of the storage section 52 by the conveyance belt 82, and further discharges it to the outside, and a drive which rotationally drives the conveyance belt 82, the discharge roller 83, etc. It consists of a section.

28 and 29 show the holding part 70 and the conveyance stage 81 in the position when paying out the banknotes P at the bottom of the storage part 52. FIG. 30 is a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. 29. As shown in FIG. 29, when the banknotes P at the bottom of the storage section 52 are fed out, the elastic sheet 73 affixed to the bottom surface of the presser plate 71 of the presser section 70 is slightly away from the conveyance stage 81, and the presser roller 72 holds the banknote P between the transport belt 82 and the transport belt 82 . When paying out banknotes P from the bottom of the storage section 52, the receiving section 60 actually also descends to the vicinity of the bottom of the storage section 52, as shown in FIG. This position is defined as the banknote adjustment position. When in the banknote adjustment position, the lower end of the receiving section 60 (the lower end surface of the holding block 63) is slightly above the conveyance stage 81. When the banknotes P are sent out from the bottom of the storage section 52, the elastic sheet 73 on the bottom surface of the presser plate 71 and the lower end surface of the presser block 63 press the banknotes P toward the conveyance stage 81 and the conveyor belt 82. It contacts the banknote P to the extent that upward curling is reduced, and the banknote P is not strongly clamped between the banknote P and the conveyance stage 81 . When a plurality of banknotes P are stored in the storage section 52 in an overlapping manner, the banknote adjustment position is raised according to the height of the piled banknotes P.

Next, the transport operation of banknotes P by the temporary storage device 50 will be explained.

FIG. 32 shows an initial state in which the posture changing section 51 waits for banknotes P sent from the intermediate conveyance section 21. The posture changing section 51 is in a vertical posture, and the holding section 70 is located at a higher position than the posture changing section 51 (a position high enough not to collide with the posture changing section 51 when it is displaced to a horizontal posture). The receiving portion 60 is located at the bottom of the storage portion 52. At this time, the lower end of the receiving portion 60 (the lower end surface of the presser block 63) does not come into contact with the transport stage 81, but is a little apart from the transport stage 81. Further, the shutter 62 is closed.

FIG. 33 shows a state in which the posture converting section 51 receives and stores banknotes P in a vertical posture from the intermediate conveyance section 21. The receiving part 60 rises to a receiving position immediately below the posture changing part 51 which has rotated to the horizontal position and stops.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 34, the posture changing section 51 rotates while holding the banknote P to take a horizontal posture. Next, as shown in FIG. 35, the holding part 70 descends and passes through the penetration part 51c of the attitude changing part 51. At this time, the banknote P whose both ends were held by the attitude changing part 51 separates from the attitude changing part 51, falls onto the receiving part 60, and is received by the receiving part 60 with the shutter 62 closed. When the holding part 70 descends to just before the receiving part 60 and the banknote P is held between the receiving part 60 and the holding part 70, the holding part 70 and the receiving part 60 are held together while maintaining this distance. They move as one in the same direction at the same time (in this example, they move downward (see FIG. 36)).

Then, when the receiving section 60 reaches the bill adjustment position (FIG. 37), the receiving section 60 stops at that position, and the holding section 70 further descends, pushing the shutter 62 downward and opening the opening 65 of the receiving section 60. (Figure 38).

At this time, the banknote P curves along the elastic sheet 73 attached to the lower surface of the pressing plate 71 of the pressing section 70 and the door 62a of the shutter 62. The pressing section 70 stops descending and stops at a position where the transported bill P is held between the pressing roller 72 and the conveying belt 82. At this time, both ends of the banknote P are still held by the shutter 62 of the receiving part 60 and are in a semi-separated state. Also, at this timing, the posture changing section 51 returns to the vertical posture.

FIG. 39 shows the receiving part 60, the holding part 70, and the feeding and conveying part 54 in the positions shown in FIG.

Since the door 62a of the shutter 62 is made of resin with a smooth surface, the banknote P easily slides on the shutter 62, and when the pressing plate 71 passes through the opening 65 of the receiving part 60, the banknote P can smoothly slide onto the receiving part 60. You can leave from. In particular, since a predetermined range in the longitudinal center of the door 62a of the shutter 62 is widened, the shutter 62 comes into contact with the end of the banknote P in the width direction, and the banknote P is placed on this oblique door 62a of the shutter 62. The shutter 62 can be deformed along the door 62a of the shutter 62, and can be smoothly removed along the door 62a of the shutter 62.

In addition, since the elastic sheet 73 is attached to the lower surface of the pressing plate 71, the frictional force between it and the banknote P is strong, so that the banknote P can be pushed without slipping, and the banknote P can be released from the receiving part 60. The bill P is not sometimes shifted in an unexpected direction, and bill jams are prevented.

Note that, as shown in FIG. 38, the holding block 63 comes into contact with the outside of the door 62a of the shutter 62, and functions to restrict the maximum opening degree of the shutter 62.

Next, with the bill P still being held between the pressing roller 72 of the pressing section 70 and the conveyance belt 82 on the conveying stage 81 side, the receiving section 60 is moved so that at least the pressing section 70 comes off the shutter 62. , the shutter 62 is raised to the spring-closed position (see FIG. 40). Thereby, the banknote P is completely removed from the receiving part 60. Since the banknote P remains held between the press roller 72 and the transport belt 82 on the transport stage 81 side, the banknote P is often curled upward under the influence of the state shown in FIG. 38.

Therefore, the holding portion 70 is moved upward slightly to temporarily release the holding of the banknote P between the holding roller 72 and the conveyance belt 82 on the conveyance stage 81 side (see FIG. 41). Thereby, the curl of the banknote P becomes gentler.

Thereafter, the receiver 60 is lowered to the bill adjustment position, and the lower end surface of the presser block 63 suppresses the curling of the bill P. Further, the pressing portion 70 is lowered to a position where the pressing roller 72 again clamps the bill P between the pressing roller 72 and the conveying belt 82 on the conveying stage 81 side (see FIG. 42). 43 and 44 show the receiving section 60, the pressing section 70, and the feeding and conveying section 54 in this state.

As shown in FIG. 44, the banknote P is held between the pressing roller 72 of the pressing section 70 and the conveying belt 82 on the conveying stage 81 side. The elastic sheet 73 on the lower surface of the pressing plate 71 is located at a distance from the conveyance stage 81 to the extent that it does not come into strong contact with the banknotes P.

In this state, by driving the conveyance belt 82 and discharge roller 83 of the feed-out conveyance section 54, the banknotes P are discharged from the bottom of the storage section 52 and sent to the sub-conveyance device 9 (see FIG. 45).

After the banknotes P have been discharged, the holding part 70 is raised and the banknotes P are passed through the opening 65 of the receiving part 60 from the bottom to the top. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 46 and 47, the shutter opening/closing block 74 of the holding portion 70 comes into contact with the shutter 62 and pushes the shutter 62 upward.

When the holding part 70 passes through the opening 65 of the receiving part 60 from bottom to top and the shutter 62 is closed, the holding part 70 and the receiving part 60 are moved together while maintaining the positional relationship in which the holding part 70 is above the receiving part 60. Raise both. The receiving part 60 stops at the same receiving position as in FIG. 33 (see FIG. 48), and the pressing part 70 further rises and stops when it reaches the same initial state position as in FIG. 32 (see FIG. 49).

Next, prevention of banknotes from getting caught when lowering the receiving portion 60 from the state shown in FIG. 40 will be explained.

In the structure without the pressing block 63 at the lower end of the receiving part 60, if the bill P is strongly curled, the curled end of the bill P is rolled up inside the hanging wall 61b of the receiving plate 61, as shown in FIG. Put it away. For this reason, even if the receiving part 60 is lowered to the bill adjustment position, the curl of the bill P cannot be suppressed at the lower end of the hanging wall 61b, and the bill P cannot be smoothly sent to the sub-transport device 9.

On the other hand, if the presser block 63 is attached to the lower end of the hanging wall 61b as in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. Since the end of the banknote P that is in contact with the lower end surface of the holding block 63 and is pushed outward, the banknote P may be caught inside the hanging wall 61b as shown in FIGS. 51(b) and 51(C). There isn't. As a result, even if the banknote P is strongly curled, the curl of the banknote P can be suppressed at the lower end of the receiving section 60 (the lower end surface of the holding block 63), and the banknote P can be smoothly sent to the sub-transport device 9. .

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to what is shown in the embodiments, and changes and additions may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. are also included in the present invention.

In the embodiment, an example was shown in which the bill P is conveyed downward while being held between the receiving part 60 and the holding part 70, but the direction in which the receiving part 60 and the holding part 70 are moved while maintaining the held state is as follows. It is not limited to the downward direction, but may be in any direction. For example, it may be transported horizontally.

In the embodiment, the shutter provided in the receiving part 60 was configured to be pushed open by the pressing plate 71 of the pressing part 70, etc., but for example, an electric shutter may be used, and the timing when the control part 23 opens and closes the shutter is controlled. may be controlled (same as when pushing open). Further, in the embodiment, a shutter that rotates to open and close is illustrated, but a sliding shutter or the like may be used. If it is a sliding type, you can use an electric shutter. Regardless of whether the shutter is a rotating type or a sliding type, it is desirable that the shutter be double-opening, but a single-opening shutter is not excluded from the present invention. If it is opened on both sides, the banknotes P can be removed from both the left and right ends at the same timing.

In the embodiment, the temporary storage device 50 is provided in the relay box 6, but only the temporary storage device 50 may be configured as an independent sheet conveyance device. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the temporary storage device 50 accepts the banknotes P conveyed in a vertical position, converts them to a horizontal position, and sends them out. It may be configured as a device that converts the posture and sends out the posture. Furthermore, it may be configured as a conveying device that does not include the attitude changing section 51 and does not have an attitude changing function.

The island banknote conveyance device 7, main conveyance device 8, and subconveyance device 9 shown in the embodiment are examples, and the conveyance system of banknotes P, etc. are not limited to the illustrated ones.

The gaming machine island 3 is not limited to the configuration accommodating the pachinko machine and game ball lending machine illustrated in the embodiment, but may be a gaming machine island accommodating a medal lending machine, a slot machine, etc.

Although the embodiment has been described using banknotes as an example of paper sheets, other types of paper sheets such as tickets and cards may be used. Moreover, the shape of paper sheets is not limited to a rectangle. Further, the installation location of the paper sheet collection and transportation system 1 is not limited to a game hall, and may be installed in other facilities.

1...Paper sheet collection and conveyance system 2...Game hall 3...Game machine island 4...Game ball lending machine 5...Game machine 6...Relay box 7...Island banknote transport device 8...Main transport device 9...Sub-transfer device 11...Banknotes Separation/transportation auxiliary body circulation device 11a...Transportation auxiliary body insertion device 11b...Separation and recovery device 12...Transportation pipe 12a...Outward path 12b...Return path 14...Air flow generation device 14a...Air blowing passage 14b...Air suction passage 16...Transportation auxiliary body 16a...Head 16b...Small neck part 16c...Large diameter part 16d...Constriction part 17...Banknote capture device 18...Banknote capture device 21...Intermediate conveyance section 23...Control section 24...Power source section 31...Upper and lower wall sections 32... Side wall part 33...Expansion part 34...Separation wall (rib)
35...Rib 40...Main conveyance pipe 41...Safe 42...Blower 44...Relay device 45...Intake device 50...Temporary storage device 51...Position changing part 51a...Support arm 51b...Base 51c...Penetration part 51d...Shaft hole 52... Storage section 53... Elevator section 54... Feeding conveyance section 56... Moving mechanism 56a... First guide rail 56b... Second guide rail 60... Receiving section 61... Receiving plate 61a... Plane section 61b... Hanging wall 61d... Joining plate 62... Shutter 62a... Door 63... Pressing block 64... Elevating bearing arm 64a... Bearing hole 65... Opening 66... Bearing 67... Rotating shaft 70... Holding part 71... Holding plate 72... Holding roller 73... Elastic sheet 74... Shutter opening/closing block 75... Lifting bearing part 75a...Bearing 76...Support arm 81...Transport stage 82...Transport belt 83...Discharge roller 91...Sub-transport pipe 92...Rising airflow generation part P...Banknote Dx...Distance between reference flat parts of the transport pipe Dy...Transport Internal dimensions of the pipe in the Y direction F...Extension direction of the conveyor pipe W...Passway width X...Passage width direction of the conveyor pipe Y...Height direction of the conveyor pipe

Claims (3)

A receiving plate and
a holding plate capable of holding paper sheets between it and the receiving plate;
an opening provided in the receiving plate through which the pressing plate can pass;
a shutter that opens and closes the opening;
a moving mechanism that moves the receiving plate and the pressing plate;
a control unit;
has
The control unit transports the paper sheets by moving the receiving plate with the shutter closed and the pressing plate while holding the paper sheets between them, and removes the paper sheets being held. When separating from the receiving plate, open the shutter and relatively move the holding plate and the receiving plate so that the holding plate passes through the opening,
The receiving plate has pressing members extending in a direction in which the paper sheets are removed, on both outsides of the opening,
After separating the paper sheets, the control unit moves the receiving plate toward the paper sheets to suppress curling of the paper sheets with the pressing member.
A paper sheet conveying device characterized by: The tip of the holding member in the detachment direction is a contact surface that widens inwardly of the opening.
The paper sheet conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It has a stage part that receives the detached paper sheet,
The stage section has a conveyor belt for feeding paper sheets at a position facing the presser plate,
After releasing the paper sheet, the control unit moves the presser plate toward the conveyor belt, and presses the paper sheet toward the conveyor belt with the presser plate.
The paper sheet conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that:

Images