JP3158522B2 - Media processing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is applied to, for example, a checkout machine used in a station service, and is used for a deformed medium such as a small-sized medium such as a ticket and a large-sized medium such as a commuter pass or a card. The present invention relates to a medium processing device that performs reception and return processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a medium processing apparatus for receiving and returning two types of media (ticket, commuter pass, card) having different sizes as described above, for example, an apparatus having a configuration as shown in FIG. is there.

[0003] That is, a ticket insertion slot 82 is formed in the customer service section of the apparatus main body 81, and the next stage of the ticket insertion slot 82 is a width provided with belts 83, 84, which are vertically opposed, and a width guide plate 85. A shifting mechanism 86 is provided, and belts 89 and 90 driven by a motor 87 and a driving belt 88 are provided at the next stage of the width shifting mechanism 86. While the read head 91 and the write head 92 are provided during the conveyance of the belt 90, the above-described belts 89 and
A flapper 93 for distributing the medium to one side and the other side is disposed at a transport end portion of the hopper 90, and a punch hole 94 and a thermal head 95 are disposed on one side of the flapper 93. On the other side of the belt 93, a belt 96 facing a part of the belt 90, a first movable stopper 97 and a second movable stopper 98 are provided. This is a device provided with a collection box 99.

According to this conventional apparatus, a ticket as a small-sized medium is moved toward the reference surface side by the above-mentioned width-adjusting mechanism 86 so that the next-stage apparatus can process the ticket. In addition to the width adjusting guide plate 85, complicated configuration requirements such as an alignment roller and a belt disposed obliquely with respect to the reference plane are indispensable, so that the structure of the width adjusting mechanism 86 is complicated, and the width is reduced. Since the entire length of the shifting mechanism 86 is relatively long, not only the entire apparatus becomes large, but also the processing time becomes long.

[0005]

According to the present invention, it is possible to process irregularly shaped media (tickets, commuter passes, cards) by omitting the above-mentioned width shifting mechanism, to make the entire apparatus compact and compact, and to shorten the processing time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a medium processing device capable of achieving the following.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus for receiving and returning two types of media having different sizes, comprising a concave groove for introducing and guiding a small-sized medium in a predetermined direction; An opening communicating with the groove to guide the large-sized medium in a predetermined direction; and an inside of the groove, and the groove does not overlap with the groove.
At the time of the concave groove in the opening, a plurality of detecting means arranged to detect the medium inserted into the concave groove and the opening, and at the time of normal insertion of each medium based on the detection output of the detecting means The medium processing apparatus is provided with control means for executing a receiving process.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when a small-sized medium (such as a ticket) is normally inserted into the above-described groove, and when a large-sized medium (such as a commuter pass or a card) is normally inserted into the above-described opening. When performed, the control means executes the receiving process of each of these media based on the normal insertion detection signals from the plurality of detection means, and conversely, the small and large shapes are formed with respect to the above-described grooves and openings. When each medium is inserted abnormally (when the input position is defective), especially when the detecting means arranged near the groove on the opening side is used.
The step also confirms small-sized media that partially protrudes from the groove.
In fact, the above-described control means executes the return processing of each of these media based on the abnormal insertion detection signals from the plurality of detection means.

[0008]

As a result, the complicated width shifting mechanism found in the conventional structure can be omitted, and the receiving and returning processing of two types of media having different sizes becomes possible.
Therefore, there is an effect that the entire apparatus can be reduced in size and size and the processing time can be reduced. In particular,
Part of the small-sized medium that should have been
When it comes out, the detecting means arranged on the side of the groove on the opening side throws it out.
Can be reliably detected as
The effect of receiving media with high accuracy and reliability.
Have.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The drawing shows a checkout machine used in a station service as an example of a medium processing apparatus. A ticket insertion port housing 2 is formed in a customer service section on the front side of the apparatus main body 1. The belts 3 and 4 are provided, and the belts 3 and 4 are configured to be driven to travel through the first motor 5 and the drive belt 6. Read head 7 configured
And a write head 8.

A flapper 9 for distributing two types of media having different sizes to one side and the other side is disposed at the transport end of each of the belts 3 and 4 described above. A punch type punching machine 10 and a thermal head 11 are provided, and a transport roller 1 interposed between the two.
The second motor 14 is configured to be driven in the forward and reverse directions by the second motor 14.

Further, on the other side of the above-mentioned flapper 9, a belt 15 opposed to a part of the lower belt 4 and a solenoid 1
First stopper 18 and second stopper 18 driven by
While the stopper 19 is provided, each of the belts 4, 1
5, a collection box 20 is disposed below the transport end.

The above-mentioned ticket insertion slot housing 2 is constructed as shown in FIGS. That is, the small-sized medium forms a concave groove 25 having a width L1 and a height H1 for guiding A (for example, a ticket) in a fixed position and in a predetermined direction, and the above-described width L1 and height H1 are set to the width of the small-sized medium A And a thickness slightly larger than the thickness, and an opening 26 having a width L2 and a height H2 which communicates with the above-mentioned concave groove 25 and guides a large-sized medium B (for example, a commuter pass or card) into a fixed position and a predetermined direction.
The width L2 and height H2 of the opening 26 are set slightly larger than the width and thickness of the large-sized medium B, and the predetermined range X on the insertion side shown in FIG. For the purpose of facilitating insertion, the opening is formed so as not to surround the upper part.

The first sensor 21 vertically opposed through the through holes 27 of the bill insertion slot housing 2 at the center of the groove 25 in the width direction, and an opening 26 not overlapping with the groove 25 described above. Forward and backward , and
Offset to the right and left and the front
The part is located in the case of the groove 25, and the ticket insertion port housing 2
A second sensor 22 and a third sensor 23 which are vertically opposed through the through holes 28, 28, 29, 29 are provided, and these sensors 21, 22, 23 are put into the above-mentioned concave groove 25 and opening 26. The mediums A and B are detected. Here, as each of the sensors 21, 22, and 23, for example, a photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element is used, but a photodiode array is used instead of such a photoelectric sensor. Is also good.

Further, in the vicinity of the inner side of the transport rollers 30 and 31 immediately after the above-mentioned ticket insertion slot housing 2, FIG.
A fourth sensor 24 for detecting the presence or absence of a medium insertion as shown in FIG.
Is arranged.

FIG. 6 shows a control circuit of the settlement machine.
0 is the first sensor 21, the second sensor 22, the third sensor 2
3. Based on each signal from the fourth sensor 24, the ROM 3
2, a read head 7, a write head 8, a first motor 5, a second motor 14, a flapper 9, a first stopper 18, a second stopper 19, and a punch 1
0 and the thermal head 11 and the RAM
Reference numeral 33 stores necessary data such as a medium determination table shown in Table 1 below.

[0016]

[Table 1]

Here, interfaces 34 and 35 are provided between the input / output device and the CPU 40. Further, as is apparent from FIGS. 3 to 5, the above-described sensors 21 to 23 transmit the light beams from the light emitting element to the light receiving element to the medium A
Each of the sensors 21 to 23 is set to be ON when the light is shielded by B.

Further, the CPU 40 executes the receiving process only when the small-sized medium A and the large-sized medium B are normally inserted based on the medium detection output from the sensors 21 to 23 described above. It is a control means for executing a return process when the position is defective. Each of the above-mentioned through holes 2
A transparent body such as a glass member may be embedded in 7, 28 and 29.

The operation of the payment machine thus constructed will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First step 41
In this case, the CPU 40 determines whether the first sensor 21 or the second sensor 2
It is determined whether or not any one of the two is turned on. Only when it is turned on, the process proceeds to the next second step 42. In this second step 42, the CPU 40 turns on the fourth sensor 24 (see FIG. 1). It is determined whether or not the fourth sensor 24
The process shifts to the next third step 43 only at the time of N.

In the above-described third step 43, the CPU 40 sets the ON / OFF signals from the first sensor 21, the second sensor 22, and the third sensor 23 and data in a table (see Table 1) stored in the RAM 33 in advance. To determine the medium.

Next, in a fourth step 44, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the small-sized medium A or the large-sized medium B has been normally loaded based on the determination result in the above-mentioned third step 43. Then, the process proceeds to a fifth step 45. In the fifth step 45, the CPU 40 drives the first motor 5 in the reverse direction so that the medium A or B whose input state is defective is changed.
Is returned via the belts 3 and 4 and the transport rollers 30 and 31.

On the other hand, when it is determined in the above-described fourth step 44 that the small-sized medium A or the large-sized medium B is normally inserted, the process proceeds to the next sixth step 46. In the sixth step 46, the CPU 40 It is determined whether the inserted medium is a ticket as the small-sized medium A or a commuter pass or card as the large-sized medium B based on the determination result in the aforementioned third step 43. 7 steps 47
On the other hand, when the commuter pass and the card are normally inserted, the process proceeds to another ninth step 49.

In the above-described seventh step 47, the CPU 40 executes the processing of a ticket as the small-sized medium A (specifically, executes processing based on a subroutine not shown), and in the next eighth step 48, the CPU 40 The ticket is collected in the collection box 20, and the series of processing of the small-sized medium A is ended. On the other hand, in the ninth step 49, the CPU 40 executes the processing of the commuter pass and the card as the large-sized medium B (specifically). Perform a process based on a subroutine (not shown).
In step 50, the CPU 40 returns the commuter pass and the card, and ends a series of processing for the large-sized medium B.

In short, when the small-sized medium A (such as a ticket) is normally inserted into the above-described concave groove 25, only the first sensor 21 of the three sensors 21, 22, 23 is turned ON. When the large-sized medium B (commuter pass, card, etc.) is normally inserted into the opening 26, all of the three sensors 21, 22, 23 are turned ON. 22,2
3 is compared with the table (see Table 1) stored in the RAM 33, and when the media A and B are normally inserted, the receiving process of each of the media A and B is executed.
When the input failure of B occurs, the return processing of each medium A and B is executed.

As a result, the complicated width shifting mechanism 86 as shown in the conventional structure shown in FIG. 8 can be omitted, and the two types of media A and B having different sizes can be received and returned. Therefore, there is an effect that the size and size of the entire apparatus can be reduced and the processing time can be reduced.

In the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, the medium processing apparatus of the present invention corresponds to the station-based payment machine of the embodiment. , The large-sized medium B corresponds to a commuter pass and a card, the detecting means corresponds to the photoelectric first sensor 21, the second sensor 22, and the third sensor 23, and the control means corresponds to the CPU 4.
Although corresponding to 0, the present invention is not limited only to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a medium processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a ticket insertion slot housing.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a ticket insertion slot housing.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a sensor output signal when a small-sized medium is normally supplied.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a sensor output signal when a large-sized medium is normally supplied.

FIG. 6 is a control circuit block diagram.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing medium processing.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional medium processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 21 first sensor 22 second sensor 23 third sensor 25 concave groove 26 opening 40 CPU A small medium B large medium

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07B 1/00-17/04 B65H 7/14 B65H 11/00 G06K 17/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A medium processing apparatus for receiving and returning two types of media having different sizes, comprising: a groove for introducing and guiding a small-sized medium in a predetermined direction; An opening for guiding introduction in a predetermined direction, the inside of the concave groove, and the inside of the opening that does not overlap with the concave groove.
A plurality of detecting means arranged to detect the medium inserted into the concave groove and the opening at the time of the concave groove, and receiving processing when the respective mediums are normally inserted based on the detection output of the detecting means. And a control unit for executing the processing.