JP3290732B2 - Banknote handling equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a banknote processing apparatus used in, for example, a financial institution, for counting banknotes and bundling them at a predetermined number.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, as an example of various types of banknote handling apparatuses, a banknote handling apparatus with a binding apparatus that counts banknotes and then binds a predetermined number of sheets has been proposed. In this type of processing device, generally, once counted bills are again
A method is employed in which the sheets are sorted into a designated number and then bound.

[0003] In the above-mentioned binding device, the bills counted through the counting section are divided into designated numbers to be bound. The sorted bills are bound by a binding band for binding the bills. In addition, if necessary,
For example, a bank name, date, or reference number is printed.

[0004]

In the conventional apparatus, if a failure occurs during the binding operation, the banknote at the binding position at present, the currently counted bill, the bill to be counted from now, or the middle of the conveyance There is a problem that handling of bills and the like becomes complicated. That is, in many cases, based on the position or state of the banknote (by the operator), for example, the banknote is classified into a counted banknote, an uncounted banknote, and a banknote currently in the binding position, and the like. After being removed, it must be restarted from counting. On the other hand, there is a problem that mixing or the like is apt to occur at the time of the above classification or removal from the apparatus, and errors by the operator are easily induced. Furthermore, in the case where, for example, consecutive reference numbers are given to the binding band, the bundle of the banknotes that could not be bound becomes the missing number. Is complicated.

According to the present invention, when a failure occurs during the binding process, the failure can be easily recovered, and the processing of the bills inside the apparatus and the handling of the bundle of the bound bills required by the failure are required. It is an object of the present invention to provide a banknote handling apparatus in which mistakes are less likely to occur.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made on the basis of the above-mentioned problems, and a feeding device for feeding bills one by one, and a denomination or a damage of the bill fed by the feeding device. An inspecting unit, a conveying unit that conveys the bill to a designated stacking unit based on a result of the discrimination by the inspecting unit, a counting unit that counts for binding the bills by a predetermined number, and the counting unit. Number counting means for counting the number of bundles of bills counted, counting the number of bundles of bills, binding band sending means for sending a binding band for binding the bills, and grasping of the bills counted by the binding number counting means. The printing unit that prints the serial number of the number on the binding band sent from the binding band sending unit, and the counting is performed using the binding band on which the serial number of the bill is printed through the printing unit. bill There is provided a bundling means for bundling, the banknote handling apparatus characterized by having a.

[0007]

As described above, the binding band on which the serial number of the number of bills counted by the binding number counting means for counting the number of bills counted through the counting means is printed, If the binding operation is not executed, the printing means capable of giving the same serial number to the binding band to be supplied next is bound by the binding band on which the same serial number is printed. This facilitates processing for a failure that occurs during the binding operation.

[0008]

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

Referring to FIG. 1, a bill processing apparatus 1 includes an operation panel 2a, and comprises a bill sorting section 2 located at an upper portion and a bill band sealing device 3 located at a lower portion. Operation panel 2
In a, for example, a plurality of input keys for inputting a processing mode and a date and time or a state of the processing apparatus 1 are displayed.
A display device 2b for displaying (toward the operator) is arranged. Inside the banknote banding device 3, a banding unit 4 described later and an internal clock 3a for managing date and time are provided.
And so on.

The banknote sorting section 2 has a supply section 5 on its front side, on which a number of various banknotes (banknotes) P can be stacked. The banknotes P stacked on the supply unit 5 are sequentially taken out one by one from the lower end side thereof to the transport path 7 by the transport roller 6 and sent to the inspection unit 8. In the inspection unit 8, the state or characteristics of the banknote P are optically or magnetically detected by a sensor, and the denomination, authenticity, shape, and the like are determined.

The bills P passed through the inspection section 8 are transported by the transport means 11 having a large number of pulleys and a plurality of endless belts 10 wound around these pulleys.
It is transported inside. The bills P are sorted in a predetermined direction by the switching operation of the gates 12 or 13 provided at each branch of the transport path, and when the bills P are sorted and accumulated according to the denomination, the bills P Multiple stockers provided on the top side
Fifteen predetermined positions are accumulated according to the denomination.

A banknote P of a denomination designated by a switch of an operation unit (not shown) is transported by a gate 12 by a transport path.
The paper is fed into the stacking unit 20 of the stacking mechanism 18 that is a part of the banknote band sealing device 3 via the band 17, and a predetermined number of sheets are stacked. FIG.
According to this, the stacking mechanism 18 can stack the banknotes P sent from the banknote sorting section 2 with the front and back aligned.

In the transport path 17 of the bill sorting section 2, bills P
Is provided with a sensor 22 for distinguishing between front and back. The bills P passed through the sensor 22 are sorted according to the front and back of the bill via a gate 23 whose direction is controlled in accordance with a signal from the sensor 22. That is, the sheet is selectively fed into one of the front conveyance path 31 and the back conveyance path 32. Front transfer path
The outlets 31 a and 32 a of the back conveyance path 32 and the back conveyance path 32 are opposed to each other with the stacking section 20 interposed therebetween.

Near the outlets 31a and 32a, a separator is provided.
A sorting means having 33 and 34 is provided, and a pedestal 37 is provided so as to be able to move up and down. This cradle
37 is displaced via the motor 38 in accordance with the number of accumulated banknotes P. One of the vertical guides 39a and 39b constituting the side wall portion of the stacking unit 20 has the respective guides 39a and 39b.
Positioning means 40 for vibrating 39 is provided.

The front conveyance path 31 and the back conveyance path 32 are substantially symmetrical. The front conveyance path 31 includes a plurality of rollers.
It is formed by mutually opposed portions of belts 42 and 43 stretched over 41. The back conveyance path 32 is formed by mutually opposing portions of belts 45 and 46 stretched over a plurality of rollers 44. Each of the transport paths 31 and 32 is provided with sensors 47 and 48 for detecting the leading end of the bill P.

The transport end rollers 41a and 44a near the outlets 31a and 32a are rotatably mounted on the shaft 50 (51) via bearings as shown in FIG. The shaft 50 (51) is rotated by a motor 52 in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
(34) is rotated in the same direction as the direction in which the banknote P is transported. Below the stacking unit 20, a carrier 60 that receives a predetermined number of banknotes P stacked on the receiving table 37 is provided.

According to FIG. 3, rollers 62 and 63 are arranged on both sides of a base 61 of a carrier 60. This roller 62
And 63 can reciprocate between the collecting section 20 and the band sealing section 4 along a long hole 67 provided in the frames 65 and 66 and the rail shaft 68 by driving means (not shown). On the side of the carrier 60, a carrier detecting means 70 having a light emitting device and a light receiving device and detecting that the carrier 60 has moved toward the band sealing portion 4 is provided.

Further, the banknote P 'dropped from the carrier 60
(See FIG. 3) are provided with drop-out detection means 72, 73 and 74 comprising a plurality of pairs of light emitters and light receivers. The first detecting means 72 detects the bill P 'which has fallen in the vicinity of the guide 39, and the second and third detecting means 73 and 74 detect the bill P'.
The banknotes P 'that have fallen on the
To detect.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the band sealing unit 4 binds a predetermined number of banknotes P through a binding band 80. Below the band sealing portion 4, a conveyor 82 for receiving the bundled banknotes P ″ and a banknote P ″ conveyed by the conveyor 82 are provided.
There is provided a storage section 83 for storing therein. Next, the operation of the banding device 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As described above, the bill P passed through the sensor 22 for detecting the front and back is passed through the gate 23 whose direction is controlled to be switched according to the front and back.
Then, the back-facing ones are guided to the back conveyance path 32, respectively.

The banknote P is detected by a sensor 47 when passing through the front transport path 31 and by a sensor 48 when passing through the reverse transport path 32.
Respectively, the passage is detected. Transport path 31 and
The total number of banknotes P that have passed through any one of 32 is specified by a counter (not shown) (for example, 100).
And the exit section one by one
The sheets are discharged from the stackers 31a and 32a into the stacking section 20 and sequentially stacked on the receiving table 37. Each end face of the stacked banknotes P is aligned by the guides 39a and 39b being vibrated in the horizontal direction by the alignment means 40.

In the initial state, the separators 33 and 34 are located immediately below the transport paths 31 and 32 as shown in FIG. The receiving tray 37 is gradually lowered via the motor 38 in accordance with the amount of stacked banknotes P, and the banknotes P sent into the stacking unit 20 are moved downward.
Is maintained at the desired height depending on the amount of

According to FIG. 5, the designated number (for example, 10
For example, the banknote P-100 of the 0th sheet) is conveyed along the front conveying path 31 side, passes through the sensor 47, and when the count value is reached, the banknote P-100 is moved at a timing considering the operation time of the separators 33 and 34. Data 52 is driven.

As shown in FIG. 6, the designated number of banknotes P
Separation between -100 and the specified number of bills P-101 and after
The leading end of the tab 33 is inserted, and the banknotes P-101 after the specified number and the banknote P-100 of the specified number are completely separated.

A predetermined number of banknotes P stacked on the receiving table 37 are transferred to the carrier 60 by lowering the receiving table 37 to the lowermost position. Next, the carrier 60 starts moving toward the band sealing portion 4 and the carrier detecting means 70 detects that the carrier 60 has moved. After the career 60 starts moving,
If some of the banknotes P 'drop off from the carrier 60 as shown in FIG. 3 on the way to the band sealing section 4, the dropping detection means 72, 73 and 74 detect the dropping. When the falling off of the banknote P 'is detected, a signal for stopping the binding operation in the band sealing portion 4 is transmitted.

The predetermined number of banknotes P transported to the band sealing portion 4 without dropping the predetermined number of banknotes P from the carrier 60 are bound together by the binding band 80 via the banding portion 4. The banknote bundle P ″ bound by the band sealing unit 4 is a conveyor
It is dropped on the conveyor 82 and transported to the storage unit 83 by the conveyor 82.

On the other hand, the receiving tray 37 which has transported the predetermined number of banknotes P to the carrier 60 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 2 again, and is temporarily held via the separators 33 and 34. The banknotes P-101 and later are sequentially received. Hereinafter, a series of operations are repeated until the next designated number of banknotes P-100 is detected. Next, the binding band feeding device 100 will be described.

According to FIG. 7 and FIG.
Is the binding band entrance guide 101, multiple drive rollers 10
2. It includes a binding band conveyance path 103, a binding band cutting device 104, a binding band exit 105, a printer 108 installed in the middle of the binding band conveyance path 103, and the like. In addition, as the binding band 80, heat seal glue is applied in advance on one side, and a heat seal (not shown) is used.
A belt of a type that generates an adhesive force when heated by a heater is used. The drive rollers 102 arranged in the binding band conveyance path 103 are driven by, for example, a pulse motor (not shown), and the respective drive rollers are rotated at a constant speed by timing belts 107a and 107b.

The binding band 80 is taken in through a binding band entrance guide 101 and is transported through a plurality of drive rollers 102.
It is conveyed in 103 and guided to the binding band outlet 105. The binding band 80 fed out from the binding band outlet 105 is wound around the banknote P by a binding device (not shown), and the heater 106
Heat-sealed by the heating of
Cut by 4

On the surface of the binding band 80 being conveyed, desired characters or symbols, for example, a bank name or a series of serial numbers are printed via the printer 108. Printer 108
Face the platen 109 with the binding band 80 interposed.
Is arranged. The platen 109 can be retracted to the transport path 103 via a platen drive solenoid 110. The printer 108 is, for example, a dot printer in which a plurality of dot heads are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the binding band 80 is transported, and accommodates a printing ink ribbon 111a behind its own 108. Associated with the ink ribbon cartridge 111. The ink ribbon 111a is
Pulled out from the ink ribbon cartridge 111, the printer
Orbited around 108. The ink ribbon 111a is driven by a pulse motor (not shown). During printing, the ink ribbon 111a always runs at a speed substantially equal to the speed at which the binding band 80 is conveyed.

The content printed on the binding band 80 is, for example, a date, a processing serial number (serial number), a store number, etc., via a control device (not shown), and can be freely set according to a control program or an external input. Is set.

FIG. 9 shows an example of printing on the binding band 80, in which a date and a serial number are printed on the surface of a bundle of banknotes bound by a predetermined number, and a store number is printed on the back side. I have. The printing position is formed so as to be freely set by printing position control described later. Next, printing on the binding band 80 will be described.

The binding band 80 transported via the binding band transport path 103 is located between the printer 108 and the platen 109. Since the drive roller 102 for transporting the binding band 80 is driven via a pulse motor, the printer 108
Are energized in accordance with the timing of the pulse motor for conveyance. For example, the pulse applied to the pulse motor for conveyance is set so as to activate the printer 108 for one line every two pulses. Therefore, for example, if the pulse applied to the motor is set to energize the printer 108 for one line for each pulse, half-width characters can be printed. Similarly, by printing one line every four pulses, double-width characters can be printed. The timing of the printing start is
It can be arbitrarily set by a program, and can be adjusted by, for example, a rotary switch (not shown).

The printer 108 is mounted on a printer fixing base 113 together with the ink ribbon cartridge 111, and is fixed to a main body frame of the binding band feeding device 100 via a spacer 112. When the spacer 112 is inserted, the printing position is defined, for example, on the right side with respect to the direction in which the binding band 80 is conveyed. When the spacer 112 is removed, the printing position is defined on the left side in the direction in which the binding band 80 is transported. Platen 109
It is moved along the printer 108 or is arranged over the entire width of the binding band 80 so as to be able to cope with any position.

Downstream of the printer 108, a density detection sensor 114 for detecting the density of a character or a serial number printed via the printer 108 is provided. Concentration detection sensor
Reference numeral 114 denotes, for example, a reflection-type sensor that detects the density of a character or a serial number printed on the binding band 80. When an abnormal print density is detected via the density detection sensor 114, the display device 2b is controlled via a control device (not shown).
Indicates that the print density is abnormal.

When the binding band feeding device 100 is loaded with the binding band 80, the binding band inserted into the entrance guide 101 is used.
80 is sequentially passed to each drive roller 102 and exit 105
Is discharged from In this case, the platen 109 is fixed at a position retracted from the binding conveyance path 103 by the platen driving solenoid 110, and easily passes the tip of the binding band 80. When the leading end of the binding band 80 is detected by the leading end detection sensor 115, it is determined that the binding band 80 has been introduced, and the platen 109 is returned to the normal position.

The binding band 80 fed by the binding band feeding device 100 is wound around a bundle of bills P ″ bundled in a predetermined number through a binding device (not shown), and heated by a heater (not shown). And glued (heat-sealed). When the heat sealing is completed, a stamp is stamped on the binding band 80 by a stamp stamping device (not shown), which is a mark indicating that the binding is completed. Next, an example of an actual bill processing operation in which the binding band feeding device 100 is used will be described.

As is apparent from FIG. 1, the bill processing apparatus 1
Has an internal clock 3a for managing date and time. Information from the internal clock 3a, ie,
The date and time are displayed on the display device 2b via a control device (not shown). The date and time are also supplied to the printer 108 via an interface and a print controller (not shown). Therefore, for example, date and time can be provided as data printed on the binding band 80. To print the date on the binding band using this date,
The operator can use the machine without worrying about the date setting. Further, additional information such as a store number can be printed on the binding band 80 by being input in advance through the operation panel 2a or the like.

When the banknote P is processed, the banknote (group) to be processed is set in the supply unit 5. A denomination to be bound is input via an operation key (not shown). When a counting start key (not shown) is turned on, bills are taken in from the supply unit 5, the authenticity and the denomination are discriminated through the inspection unit 8, and only the designated denomination is sorted. −
The paper is conveyed to the banding device 3 through the port 12. The banknotes P sent to the banding device 3 are separated into a designated number by the above-described sorting mechanism, and are conveyed to the binding unit (banding unit) 4.

In the binding unit 4, a processing serial number is incremented by one each time one binding unit (predetermined number) is counted via a counter and an adding mechanism (not shown), and stored in a memory (not shown). This memory is cleared, for example, at a predetermined time (at least once a day), and is rewritten successively each time the predetermined number is counted. In addition, the above processing sequence number (serial number)
For example, the value is returned to the initial value when the total payment is cleared.

Printing on the binding band 80 in the binding band feeding device 100 is started at the moment when the designated number of bills, for example, P-100 is recognized through the inspection unit 8. For details,
By passing the designated number of banknotes P-100, a motor (not shown) is energized, the drive roller 102 is rotated, and the binding band 80 is conveyed at a desired speed. At the same time, data to be printed is supplied to the printer 108 via a printing control device (not shown). For example, a bank name, a store number, a serial number, or a date is printed at a desired position of the binding band 80. Is done. By conveying the binding band 80 at such a timing and starting printing, it becomes possible to provide the binding band 80 for which printing has already been completed at the time when the specified number of sheets have been accumulated in the accumulation section 20. The operation time is shortened,
This enables continuous binding without stopping the entire counting operation.

On the other hand, with this configuration, after the designated number of banknotes P-100 is recognized by the inspection unit 8 and before binding is determined, for example, the banknotes P are dropped or wrapped in the transport device. In this case, the printing on the binding band 80 has been completed, but there is a possibility that the bundle P '' of the bills to be bound is not conveyed to the binding position. In this case, the banknotes that have fallen or become entangled are taken out of the apparatus (by the operator) and returned to the supply unit 5 again. Therefore, the banknote group is counted again.

On the other hand, the binding band 80 on which the serial number or the like has already been printed is taken out from the inside of the apparatus (by an operator) and discarded. In this case, the serial number stored in the memory (not shown), that is, the serial number printed on the discarded binding band 80 is read out again and printed on the binding band 80 used for the next binding. Therefore, a continuous processing number is printed on the determined binding bundle, so that a processing error can be prevented.

Further, by using a stamp, a stamp is stamped on a bundle that has been determined and a stamp is not stamped on an unfixed bundle, thereby further facilitating prevention of processing errors.

Further, when a failure occurs during the binding operation as described above, the processing serial number of the bundle during the binding operation and the handling method thereof are displayed on the display unit 2b in the operation panel 2a via a control device (not shown). Is displayed. With this display, the processing sequence number of the bundle that should have been bound when the failure occurred can be confirmed. Further, the failure is easily resolved by referring to the processing method displayed on the display unit 2b. The display unit 2b
In this case, a warning message is output even when the printed serial number is unclear.

[0046]

According to the present invention, since a processing serial number (serial number) is printed on the binding band of the bound bills, the handling of the bills left in the apparatus when a failure occurs. Becomes easier. Further, the serial number to be attached to the bundle of banknotes to be bound when a failure occurs is given again to the first bundle in which the bundling process is restarted. Operator errors in recounting left-over bills are reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a bill processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a bill stacking unit of the bill processing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a carrier that conveys counted bills of the bill processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing a driving unit of the banknote stacking unit shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a first operation state of the bill stacking unit shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing a first operation state of the bill stacking unit shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a binding band feeding device and a printing device incorporated in the banknote processing device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing the binding band feeding device and the printing device shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a bundle of bills bound via the bill processing apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Banknote processing apparatus, 2 ... Banknote sorting part, 2a ... Operation panel, 2b ... Display device, 3 ... Banknote banding apparatus, 3a ... Internal clock, 4 ... Banding part, 5 ... Supply part, 6 ... Transport roller, 7
... Conveying path, 8 ... Inspection unit, 10 ... Endless belt, 11 ... Conveying means, 12, 13 ... Gate, 15 ... Stocker, 18 ... Collecting mechanism, 20
... Stacking unit, 39a, 39b guide, 60 carrier, 70 carrier detection means, 72, 73, 74 drop-off detection means, 80 binding band, 110 binding band feeding device (binding device), 108 printer P: Banknote, P ': Dropped banknote, P''... Predetermined number of banknotes.

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A feeding device for feeding bills one by one, an inspection unit for judging a denomination or a damage of the bill fed by the feeding device, and specifying the banknote based on a discrimination result by the inspection unit. Transport means for transporting the bills to the stacking unit; counting means for counting the number of the banknotes to be bound by a predetermined number; binding number counting means for counting the number of the bills counted through the counting means; A binding band sending means for sending a binding band for binding the bills; and a serial number of the banknote number counted by the binding number counting means printed on the binding band sent from the binding band sending means. And a binding means for binding the counted bills using the binding band on which the serial number of the bill is printed via the printing means. . 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing unit prints the same serial number on a next binding band fed from the binding band sending unit when the binding operation in the binding unit is not performed. The bill processing device according to claim 1. 3. A feeding device for feeding bills one by one, an inspection unit for judging a denomination or a damage of the bill fed by the feeding device, and specifying the bill based on a result of the judgment by the inspection unit. conveying means for conveying to the integrated unit, the time and the strap sending means for sending a strap for bundling the banknotes, which the bill should be unity of Jo Tokoro number eyes is determined by the inspecting unit A bill processing device, comprising: printing means for printing characters and the like on a binding band; and binding means for binding a predetermined number of bills with the binding band . 4. A feeding device for feeding bills one by one, an inspection unit for judging a denomination or a damage of the bill fed by the feeding device, and designating the bill based on a result of the discrimination by the inspection unit. Conveying means for conveying to the stacking unit, a binding band sending means for sending a binding band for binding the bills, a printing means for printing characters and the like on the binding band, and a character printed by the printing means The density detected by the detection means and the density detected by the detection means are compared with a preset density, and it is determined that the density of the printed character or the like is lower than the preset density. And a notifying means for notifying the operator of the bill, and a binding means for binding a predetermined number of bills in a designated number.