JP4270385B2 - Banknote handling equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a banknote processing apparatus that identifies and stores banknotes, and is installed in a game hall where, for example, pachinko machines, slot machines, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as “game machines”) are installed. It relates to the banknote processing apparatus arrange | positioned.

  In general, in a game hall such as a pachinko hall, for the convenience of the player, pachinko balls and coins (game media) are placed between adjacent gaming machines in an area where many gaming machines are installed (also referred to as “islands”). ) Is installed in a vertically long game medium lending device. This game medium lending device is attached to a frame that is fixedly installed between each game machine, and a signal that prompts the lending of game media, for example, when a bill, a coin, a prepaid card or the like is inserted through a corresponding insertion slot. Is sent to the gaming machine.

  Specifically, the gaming medium lending device includes a bill identifying device (bill valid unit) for identifying the validity of an inserted bill, and a coin identifying device (coin selector unit) for identifying the validity of an inserted coin. , A recording medium processing device (card processing unit) for reading recording information and writing information by taking in a recording medium such as a prepaid card or an IC card, and controlling each of the devices, and encouraging lending of game media A control unit that transmits a signal to the gaming machine and a power supply unit are included.

Moreover, the said banknote identification device which identifies the effectiveness of the inserted banknote generally comprises a banknote processing apparatus with the banknote accommodating part (safe) and banknote conveyance mechanism which accommodates the inserted banknote, and identifies a banknote. After that, the banknote is conveyed and stored in the banknote storage part (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-322648 A

  By the way, since the banknote processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that an unused space secured between gaming machines is used so that adjacent players do not feel cramped. The conveying apparatus which identifies and conveys, and the banknote accommodating part which accommodates a banknote are the states arranged in parallel in the width direction of the game medium rental apparatus so that the unused space may be filled. Therefore, after the banknote inserted into the banknote insertion slot of the banknote processing apparatus is sent to the back side of the banknote processing apparatus by the transport device, it is U-turned in the non-use space section and again toward the banknote storage section. Sent to the front side.

  However, due to various factors such as the type of gaming machine and the gaming machine installation conditions in the gaming hall, the unused space may not always be secured between gaming machines, and on the other hand, the distance between gaming machines is as much as possible. There is also a need to increase the number of game machines installed in the amusement hall. Therefore, in such a current situation, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 in which the transport device and the banknote storage unit are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the game medium lending device and transport the banknote by U-turn, When the unused space cannot be secured, or when it is desired to increase the number of game machines installed in the game hall by making the distance between the game machines as close as possible, it becomes impossible to install the banknote handling apparatus, It is also conceivable that the storage capacity of the banknote storage part must be reduced.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to reduce the width of the banknote processing device as much as possible while ensuring a sufficient storage capacity of the banknote storage section. An object of the present invention is to provide a banknote handling apparatus that can be stored compactly in a limited space.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the banknote processing apparatus according to claim 1 conveys a banknote in a substantially horizontal direction while standing in a banknote recognition unit that accepts and identifies a banknote in a standing state and in the banknote recognition unit. First billing means that is provided below the banknote recognition unit, and a banknote storage unit that stores the banknotes in an upright state; And a second transport means for transporting vertically downward, wherein the first transport means supports the banknote from the lower side without obstructing the transport of the banknote by the second transport means, and the substantially horizontal direction of the banknote. The guide means also serves as a guide means for guiding the conveyance at the banknote, and the banknote is transferred from the banknote recognition section to the banknote storage section while the banknote is being transported in the horizontal direction by the first transport means. Prevents falling or shifting downward Characterized in that that.

  According to the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 1, the banknote recognition unit and the banknote storage unit are positioned vertically without being juxtaposed in the width direction of the banknote processing apparatus. Can be stored in a limited space between the gaming machines as much as possible, and the banknote storage part can be provided with the full width of the banknote handling apparatus, so that the banknote storage part has a sufficient storage capacity. Can be secured. It is also possible to increase the number of game machines installed in the game hall by making the distance between the game machines as close as possible. Moreover, since a banknote is conveyed below without changing the attitude | position from a banknote identification part to a banknote accommodating part, a conveyance space can be made compact and size reduction of the whole banknote processing apparatus can be achieved. .

  Moreover, in the said structure, on the structure which conveys a banknote from a banknote identification part to a banknote accommodating part, it is below so that a banknote may not fall to a banknote accommodating part during conveyance by a 1st conveyance means. It is necessary to provide a guide member that supports and guides the banknote from the lower side so as not to shift, but if the guide member is provided on the lower side of the banknote recognition section, the second conveying means The banknote is prevented from being conveyed by the guide member. Therefore, in the banknote processing apparatus according to claim 1, the first transport unit supports the banknote from below without interfering with the transport of the banknote by the second transport unit. It also serves as a guide means for guiding the conveyance of the sheet. Accordingly, the banknotes are conveyed to the banknote accommodating part by the first conveying means at the same time while the banknotes are conveyed by the first conveying means without hindering the conveyance of the banknotes by the second conveying means by providing a separate guide member. It can be supported and guided from below so as not to drop (without shifting downward). As a result, banknotes can be reliably taken into the banknote recognition section, jamming of banknotes and the like can be prevented, and the processing efficiency of banknotes can be improved.

  Moreover, the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 2 is the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the first transporting unit transports the guide unit while urging the banknote upward. It is characterized by comprising.

  According to the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 2, the same effect as that of the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 1 can be obtained, and the banknote is conveyed while being urged upward by the first conveying means. Therefore, the guide means can be realized efficiently and effectively with a simple configuration. In this configuration, a guide member may be provided on the upper side of the transport path by the first transport means, and the bill may be transported while being brought into contact with the upper guide member by the biasing force.

  Moreover, the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 3 is the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 2, wherein the first transport means is arranged side by side along the transport path of banknotes and directly with the banknotes. A plurality of upper rotating rollers for conveying the bills in contact with each other, and a plurality of the upper rotation rollers arranged in parallel on the lower side along the conveyance path of the bills and for conveying the bills in direct or indirect contact with the bills A lower rotating roller, the upper rotating roller and the lower rotating roller rotate at the same angular velocity, and the diameter of the lower rotating roller is set larger than the diameter of the upper rotating roller. Features.

  According to the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 3, the same effect as that of the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 2 can be obtained, and the urging force by the guide means can be efficiently and effectively achieved with a simple configuration. Can be obtained.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the banknote handling apparatus according to the second aspect, wherein the first transport means is arranged side by side along the transport path of the banknote and directly with the banknote. A plurality of upper rotating rollers for conveying the bills in contact with each other, and a plurality of the upper rotation rollers arranged in parallel on the lower side along the conveyance path of the bills and for conveying the bills in direct or indirect contact with the bills A lower rotating roller, and the rotational speed of the lower rotating roller is larger than that of the upper rotating roller.

  According to the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 4, the same effect as that of the banknote processing apparatus described in claim 2 can be obtained, and the urging force by the guide means can be efficiently and effectively achieved with a simple configuration. Can be obtained.

  In the banknote handling apparatus of the present invention, the banknote recognition unit and the banknote storage unit are positioned vertically without being juxtaposed in the width direction of the banknote processing apparatus, so that the storage capacity of the banknote storage unit is sufficiently secured. The width dimension can be made as small as possible and can be stored compactly in a limited space between gaming machines. Moreover, the problem with the installation space of the banknote conveyance guide which arises when the banknote identification part and the banknote storage part are positioned up and down is effectively solved by the conveyance means also serving as a banknote guide.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a banknote handling apparatus 1 constituting a part of a game medium lending device installed between gaming machines. In this embodiment, on the lower side of the banknote processing apparatus 1 (not shown by being broken halfway in the figure), other devices constituting the game medium lending device, such as a coin identifying device, a recording medium processing device, Although a power supply device or the like is provided, the banknote handling apparatus 1 may be configured separately from these other apparatuses, and the banknote handling apparatus 1 is used alone or in the other space other than between the gaming machines. Needless to say, it may be installed together with the apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the banknote handling apparatus 1 is provided on the lower side of the banknote recognition section 2 and the banknote recognition section 2 that draws (accepts) banknotes in a vertical state (standing position) and accepts them. And a bill storage part 4 for storing the identified bills in a vertical state.

  The banknote identification part 2 is a banknote insertion slot 6 into which a banknote in a vertical state is inserted, and a banknote inserted into the banknote insertion slot 6 is conveyed in a substantially horizontal direction in a standing state (vertical state) and drawn into the inside. And a transport mechanism (first transport means) 8 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). In this case, the bill insertion slot 6 is formed as a vertically long slit on the front surface of the housing case 1a of the bill processing apparatus 1, and has a width that can accept one bill.

  Further, as clearly shown in FIG. 3, the first transport mechanism 8 includes a pair of driving side and driven side roller assemblies 8A and 8B facing each other. These roller assemblies 8A and 8B hold the banknotes between them and rotate the conveyance belt 10 (described later) of the drive side roller assembly 8A in frictional contact with the banknotes, thereby rotating the banknotes along the longitudinal direction of the conveyance belt 10. Transport.

  Specifically, the drive-side roller assembly 8A extends along the bill insertion direction (the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGS. 1 and 2) and frictionally contacts a bill inserted through the bill insertion slot 6. Shaped conveyor belts (toothed belts) 10, 10. These conveyor belts 10 and 10 cooperate to form a banknote transport path, and are spaced apart in parallel in the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the banknote insertion direction) and extend in the banknote insertion direction. A plurality of rollers (gears) 12a (12a ′) and 12b (12b ′) arranged along the belt are stretched (engaged). More specifically, each conveyor belt 10 is stretched over one drive roller 12a, 12a ′ and a plurality of driven rollers 12b, 12b ′ spaced apart from each other along the bill insertion direction. It is rotationally driven with the rotation of 12a, 12a '. In this case, the driven rollers 12b and 12b 'of the conveyor belts 10 and 10 adjacent in the vertical direction are rotatably supported by a common fixed shaft 13 extending in the vertical direction. That is, in the present embodiment, a plurality of fixed shafts 13 extending in the vertical direction and spaced apart from each other along the bill insertion direction are fixed to the housing case 1a, and each fixed shaft 13 has a corresponding separate shaft. A pair of driven rollers 12b and 12b ′ that respectively support the conveyor belt 10 are supported so as to be spaced apart from each other.

  On the other hand, the driving rollers 12a and 12a 'of the conveyor belts 10 and 10 adjacent in the vertical direction are fixed to a common rotating shaft 14 extending in the vertical direction. The rotary shaft 14 is rotatably supported by the housing case 1a, and one end of the rotary shaft 14 is connected to the first transport motor M1 (see (a of FIG. 4) via a gear train 15 composed of a plurality of gears meshing with each other. ))). Therefore, when the first conveying motor M1 is driven, the rotation shaft of the first conveying motor M1 rotates, and the rotational force is transmitted to the rotating shaft 14 via the gear train 15 to drive rollers 12a, 12a 'is rotated, and the conveyance belt 10 stretched (engaged) by the drive rollers 12a and 12a' is rotated.

  On the other hand, the driven roller assembly 8B has a plurality of driven rollers 22 facing the rollers 12a (12a ') and 12b (12b') of the driving roller assembly 8A. These driven rollers 22 are rotatably supported by a plurality of common fixed shafts 23 in the same form as the driven rollers 12b and 12b ′ in the driving roller assembly 8A, and the driving rollers 12a and 12a ′ and the driven rollers are supported. A banknote can be conveyed while being pinched between 12b and 12b '.

  The fixed shaft 23 is supported by a frame 11 (see FIG. 4) that can rotate with respect to the driving roller assembly 8A (and therefore the housing case 1a that supports the driving roller assembly 8A). Further, the frame 11 is supported by the housing case 1a so as to be rotatable with respect to the driving side roller assembly 8A in conjunction with a swinging motion of a conveying roller pair 32 of a second conveying mechanism 30 described later. As the frame 11 rotates, the driven roller assembly 8B causes the driven roller 22 to hold the bills between the drive rollers 12a and 12a ′ and the driven rollers 12b and 12b ′ of the drive roller assembly 8A. The holding position (the position indicated by the solid line in the circular frame in FIG. 3) and the driven roller 22 are separated from the driving rollers 12a and 12a ′ and the driven rollers 12b and 12b ′ of the driving side roller assembly 8A. It can be rotated between a retracted position (a position indicated by an alternate long and short dash line in the circular frame in FIG. 3) that can release the sandwiched state.

  Moreover, as FIG. 2 shows, the banknote identification part 2 is the 1st sensor S1 which detects carrying in / out of the banknote with respect to the banknote identification part 2, and several 2nd sensor S2 for identifying a banknote. Along the banknote transport path. In the present embodiment, these sensors S1 and S2 are, for example, reflective optical sensors, and are connected to a CPU mounted on a control board 38 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) supported by the housing case 1a. Yes.

  Moreover, the banknote accommodating part 4 conveys below the banknote accommodating case 40 provided in the downward direction of the banknote conveyance path | route, and the banknote identified by the banknote identification part 2 to the banknote accommodating case 40 with a perpendicular state. Transport mechanism (second transport means) 30.

  The bill storage case 40 is formed of a box having a substantially rectangular cross section having an upper opening 40a that opens upward toward the bill recognition unit 2 and a front opening 40b that opens forward. Further, on both sides of the front edge portion of the banknote storage case 40, substantially arc-shaped cutouts 40c are provided so that banknotes stored in a bundle in the banknote storage case 40 can be picked up by fingers from the outside of the case. Is formed.

  An urging spring 47 is interposed between the bill housing case 40 and the housing case 1a. The biasing spring 47 connects the banknote storage case 40 and the housing case 1a, and constantly biases the banknote storage case 40 in a direction in which the banknote storage case 40 protrudes to the outside of the housing case 1a.

  A front door 43 is provided in front of the front opening 40b of the bill housing case 40 so as to face the front opening 40b. The lower edge of the front door 43 is rotatably attached to the housing case 1a via a support shaft 49, and the banknote storage case 40 is placed in the housing case 1a against the urging force of the urging spring 47. The closed position (the position indicated by the solid line in FIGS. 2 and 8) that closes the front opening 40b while being pushed in, and the open position (the dashed line in FIG. 10 that opens the front opening 40b toward the front of the housing case 1a). (Position shown) can be rotated up and down around the support shaft 49.

  In the closed position of the front door 43, a locking hook 43a provided on the upper edge is detachably locked to the locking portion 50 of the housing case 1a. Further, the locking state between the locking hook 43a and the locking portion 50 is released by a door lock releasing solenoid 52 attached and fixed in the housing case 1a.

  Moreover, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there are a plurality of second transport mechanisms 30 that transport the banknotes identified by the banknote recognition unit 2 downward to the banknote storage case 40 in a vertical state. In the present embodiment, three conveyance roller pairs 32 are provided. Each conveyance roller pair 32 includes a driving roller 55, a driven roller 56 that can project into the bill recognition unit 2, and a driving belt 55 and a driving belt 57 stretched over the driven roller 56. In this case, when the driven roller 56 protrudes into the bill recognition unit 2, the drive belt 57 comes into frictional contact with the bill in the bill recognition unit 2 and conveys it downward.

  Further, the driving roller 55 of each transport roller pair 32 is attached to a common rotating shaft 58. As shown in FIG. 4B, the rotary shaft 58 is coupled to the rotary shaft of the second transport motor M2 via a gear train 60 composed of a plurality of gears. Therefore, when the second conveyance motor M2 is driven, the rotation shaft of the second conveyance motor M2 rotates, and the rotational force is transmitted to the rotation shaft 58 via the gear train 60 and is transmitted to each conveyance roller pair. 32 drive rollers 55 are rotated, and a drive belt 57 stretched around the drive rollers 55 is rotated.

  Further, each transport roller pair 32 can be swung around the central axis of the drive roller 55 by a swing mechanism (not shown) so that the driven roller 56 protrudes into the bill recognition unit 2. Specifically, each conveyance roller pair 32 has a conveyance position (one point in FIG. 3) that causes the driven roller 56 to protrude into the banknote recognition unit 2 and the upper part of the drive belt 57 is brought into frictional contact with the banknotes in the banknote recognition unit 2. A position indicated by a chain line) and a retreat position (represented by a solid line in FIG. 3) for retracting the driven roller 56 from the bill recognition unit 2 so as not to prevent the introduction of the bill into the bill recognition unit 2 through the bill insertion slot 6. Oscillates between

  The swing mechanism that swings each pair of transport rollers 32 is connected to the frame 11 of the driven roller assembly 8B. As a result, the frame 11 of the driven roller assembly 8B rotates in conjunction with the swinging motion of the conveying roller pair 32 from the retracted position to the conveying position, and the driven roller assembly 8B is moved from the clamping position to the retracted position. It is moved to the position (the banknote clamping state by the driving side roller assembly 8A and the driven side roller assembly 8B is released). In this case, the swing mechanism may be driven by the second transport motor M2, or may be driven by an independent drive source.

  Moreover, the banknote accommodating part 4 pushes in the banknote B (or banknote bundle B '... refer FIG. 3) already accommodated in the banknote accommodating case 40 to the one side of the banknote accommodating case 40, and each conveyance roller pair. 32 is provided with a pushing means for forming a banknote drop space S (see FIG. 3) in the banknote storage case 40 on the lower side of the banknote transport path. Specifically, the pushing means pushes the upper part of the banknote in the banknote storage case 40 into one side of the case 40, and forms a space for receiving the banknote in the upper part of the case 40; The lower part of the bill in the bill housing case 40 is pushed into one side of the case 40, and the second pushing mechanism forms a space for receiving the bill in the lower part in the case 40.

  The first pushing mechanism includes, for example, one flap plate 62 that is coupled to each pair of transport rollers 32 and swings integrally with each pair of transport rollers 32. The flap plate 62 extends along the longitudinal direction of the banknote storage case 40, and can abut on or get over the upper edge of the banknote in the banknote storage case 40 as the conveyance roller pair 32 swings. Thus, a space for receiving the banknote can be formed in the upper portion of the case 40 by pushing the upper part of the banknote in the banknote storage case 40 into one side of the case 40 (this will be described later).

  The second pushing mechanism is composed of a plurality of pushing bodies 65 that are continuously struck and pushed toward the one side of the case 40 with the lower portion of the bill in the bill housing case 40. These pushing bodies 65 have a plurality of blades 65b around the rotating main body 65a, and the blades 65b are continuously applied to the banknotes as the main body 65a rotates, whereby the banknotes are placed in the case 40. Continue to push into one side. The second pushing mechanism may be a simple rotating roller having a columnar shape, but when formed by a pushing body 65 having a plurality of blades in the circumferential direction of the rotating body as in the present embodiment, It is preferable because banknotes can be smoothly dropped onto the bottom of the case accompanying the conveyance of the conveyance roller pair 32 without any obstacles.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the pushing body 65 is arrange | positioned at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the banknote storage case 40 on the outer side of the banknote storage case 40, and was formed in the lower part of the banknote storage case 40. The banknotes in the banknote storage case 40 are brought into contact with each other through a plurality of notched openings 70. Further, in the present embodiment, the opening 70 constitutes a regulating means for regulating the amount of protrusion of the banknote storage case 40 from the housing case 1 a due to the urging force of the urging spring 47 in cooperation with the pusher 65. It has become. That is, when the banknote storage case 40 protrudes from the housing case 1 a by a predetermined amount by the biasing force of the biasing spring 47, one end edge 70 a of the opening 70 comes into contact with the pusher 65, thereby further protruding the banknote storage case 40. Are now regulated.

  In the present embodiment, the rotation of the pusher 65 is interlocked with the conveying operation of the second conveying mechanism (conveying roller pair 32). Specifically, each pusher 65 is attached to a common rotating shaft 72, and this rotating shaft 72 is connected to the rotating shaft 58 of the second transport mechanism 30 via a belt / pulley mechanism 75. Yes. Therefore, when the rotary shaft 58 rotates, the rotary shaft 72 is rotated via the belt / pulley mechanism 75, and the pushers 65 are rotationally driven accordingly.

  The first transfer motor M1 and the second transfer motor M2 are electrically connected to the control board 38, and the CPU mounted on the control board 38 and the detection signals from the sensors S1 and S2. The drive is controlled by this control operation.

  Moreover, in the structure of this embodiment as mentioned above, a banknote accommodating part is conveyed during the conveyance by the 1st conveyance mechanism 8 on the structure which conveys a banknote from the banknote identification part 2 to the banknote accommodating part 4 below. 4, it is necessary to provide a guide member for supporting and guiding the bill from the lower side so as not to fall to 4 or to be shifted downward. If it is provided on the lower side, the conveyance of banknotes by the second conveyance mechanism 30 is hindered by the guide member.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the 1st conveyance mechanism 8 supports a banknote from the lower side, without interfering with conveyance of the banknote by the 2nd conveyance mechanism 30, and guides conveyance of the banknote in the substantially horizontal direction. It also serves as a means. In particular, in this embodiment, the guide means is configured by the first transport mechanism 30 transporting the banknote while urging the banknote upward. Specifically, in the case of the present embodiment, the driving roller 12a and the driven roller 12b that are located on the upper side of the banknote transport path (arranged in the upper side along the transport path) in the first transport mechanism 8 are: The upper rotation roller that conveys the banknote is indirect contact with the banknote via the belt 10 (of course, may be directly contacted without the belt 10), and the lower side of the banknote conveyance path The driving roller 12a ′ and the driven roller 12b ′ (located side by side on the upper side along the conveyance path) are in indirect contact with the bills via the belt 10 (of course, directly without the belt 10). The lower rotary roller that conveys the banknote is configured, but the upper rotary rollers 12a and 12b and the lower rotary rollers 12a ′ and 12b ′ rotate at the same angular velocity ω, and the lower rotary roller 1 a ', 12b' diameter r is an upper rotary roller 12a of is set larger than the diameter r 'of 12b. Therefore, the peripheral speed (V = r′ω) of the lower rotating rollers 12a ′ and 12b ′ is larger than the peripheral speed (V = rω) of the upper rotating rollers 12a and 12b, and as a result, the lower rotating rollers 12a ′ and 12b ′ are conveyed by these rollers. The banknote always receives upward force (biasing force) due to the difference in peripheral speed. Of course, such an urging force sets the diameters of all the rollers 12a, 12a ′, 12b, and 12b ′ to be the same, while the rotational speeds of the lower rotating rollers 12a ′ and 12b ′ are set to the upper rotating rollers 12a and 12b. It can be obtained by various means such as making it larger. Further, in such a configuration, a guide member may be provided on the upper side of the conveyance path by the first conveyance mechanism 8, and the banknote may be conveyed while being brought into contact with the upper guide member by the urging force.

  Next, the operation of the bill processing apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, when the bill B is inserted into the bill insertion slot 6 in an upright state, the bill B is detected by the first sensor S1. In the present embodiment, when the bill B is inserted through the bill insertion slot 6, for example, the first sensor S1 is turned on. When the first sensor S <b> 1 is turned on, the first transport motor M <b> 1 is driven, and the bill B inserted through the bill insertion slot 6 is introduced into the bill recognition unit 2 by the transport belt 10. In this case, the bill is conveyed while being held in a substantially horizontal direction by always receiving an upward force (biasing force) from the lower rotating rollers 12a 'and 12b' having a high peripheral speed. At this time, the pair of transport rollers 32 of the second transport mechanism 30 moves the follower roller 56 from the inside of the bill recognition unit 2 so as not to prevent the introduction of the bill B into the bill recognition unit 2 through the bill insertion slot 6. The retracted position is set at the retracted position (see FIG. 5B).

Further, while the banknote B is being transported by the transport belt 10 as described above, the second sensor S2 identifies the type and authenticity of the banknote. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, when the banknote B reaches the terminal position for banknote identification detection (for example, the position immediately after the rear end of the banknote B passes the second sensor S2), it is the second sensor S2. And the driving of the first transport motor M1 is stopped. Here, if the identification part of the control board 38 detects that the banknote B is an improper banknote by the detection signal from the second sensor S2, the banknote B is driven by the reverse drive of the first transport motor M1. It is discharged out of the bill processing apparatus 1 through the bill insertion slot 6. On the other hand, when the identification unit detects that the bill B is an appropriate bill based on the detection signal from the second sensor S2, the first transport motor M1 is driven in reverse by a predetermined amount, and the bill B is shown in FIG. Is positioned at the storage standby position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line (at this time, the driving of the first transport motor M1 is stopped).
The reason why the bill B is once returned to the storage standby position in this manner is that the bill B should be transported by the transport belt 10 in the bill recognition unit 2 in order to detect the bill B by the second sensor S2. This is because there is a difference in the longitudinal direction dimension (depth dimension) of the compact banknote accommodating part 4 substantially corresponding to the length of the banknote B. Therefore, when the identification of the banknote B by the second sensor S2 is completed, the banknote B is once returned to the storage standby position so that the banknote B can be inserted into the upper opening 40a of the banknote storage case 40 of the banknote storage section 4. Thus, it is necessary to align the bill B on the upper opening 40a.

The positioning state of the bill B with respect to the storage standby position as described above is detected by, for example, the second sensor S2, and the CPU of the control board 38 receives each detection roller via the swing mechanism based on the detection signal. The pair 32 is rotated to the transport position (see FIG. 7B) and the second transport motor M2 is driven.
When the second transport motor M2 is driven, the drive belt 57 of each transport roller pair 32 is rotationally driven, and the pusher 65 is also rotated via the belt / pulley mechanism 75. The lower part of the stored banknote bundle B ′ is pushed into one side of the case 40, and a space for receiving the banknote B is formed in the lower part of the case 40.
Moreover, when each conveyance roller pair 32 is moved to the conveyance position, the driven roller 56 protrudes into the banknote recognition unit 2, and the banknote B in which the upper part of the drive belt 57 is positioned at the storage standby position in the banknote identification unit 2. The upper portion of the banknote bundle B ′ already accommodated in the banknote accommodating case 40 is pushed into one side of the case 40 by the flap plate 62 integral with the conveying roller pair 32 (the flap plate 62 is As the transport roller pair 32 moves to the transport position, it moves from the position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. A space for this is formed.
In addition, when each pair of transport rollers 32 moves to the transport position in this way, the frame 11 of the driven roller assembly 8B also rotates in conjunction with it, and the driven roller assembly 8B moves from the clamping position to the retracted position. And the holding state of the bill B by the driving side roller assembly 8A and the driven side roller assembly 8B is released. Therefore, the banknote B located in the storage standby position is shown in FIG. 8 by the drive belt 57 of each conveyance roller pair 32 that rotates in frictional contact with the banknote B without any restriction from the roller assemblies 8A and 8B. Thus, it is conveyed downward into the bill housing case 40. At this time, the bill B is transported along the flap plate 62 (see FIG. 8B), and smoothly into the space S in the bill housing case 40 secured by the flap plate 62 and the pusher 65. It will be drawn. When the frictional contact state between the bill B and the transport roller pair 32 is released, the bill B has a space for receiving the bill B in the lower portion of the case 40 by the pusher 65. It can be smoothly dropped onto the bottom surface of the case 40 without any obstacle (see FIG. 9).
Further, when the next bill B is inserted into the bill insertion slot 6 following the above, it is detected by the first sensor S1, and each pair of transport rollers 32 is retracted from the transport position based on the detection signal. Moved to position. At this time, the flap plate 62 integral with the transport roller pair 32 comes into contact with the upper edge of the bill B that has fallen along the flap plate 62 by the above-described operation (see FIG. 9C) and overcomes this. (See (d) of FIG. 9) and prepares for the next bill bundle pushing operation.

  When collecting banknotes stored in the banknote storage case 40, for example, by transmitting a lock release signal to the door lock release solenoid 52 by a wireless lock release controller, What is necessary is just to cancel | release the latching state of the latching hook 43a provided in the edge part, and the latching | locking part 50 of the housing case 1a. When the locked state of the two is released, the front door 43 that has pushed the bill housing case 40 into the housing case 1a against the biasing force of the biasing spring 47 can withstand the biasing force of the biasing spring 47. At the same time, the banknote storage case 40 protrudes to the outside of the housing case 1a by the urging force of the urging spring 47 (see the one-dot chain line in FIG. 10). In this case, the protruding amount of the banknote storage case 40 is regulated by the one end edge 70a of the opening 70 of the banknote storage case 40 coming into contact with the pusher 65 as described above. And a banknote can be collect | recovered from the inside of the banknote storage case 40 if a banknote is picked through the notch 40c of the banknote storage case 40 partially protruded ahead, and a banknote is pulled out from the front side opening part 40b.

  As described above, the banknote handling apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has the banknote recognition unit 2 and the banknote storage unit 4 positioned vertically without being juxtaposed in the width direction of the banknote handling apparatus 1. The width of the processing device 1 can be made as small as possible so that it can be stored compactly in a limited space between gaming machines, and the banknote storage portion 4 can be provided to the full width dimension of the banknote processing device 1. A sufficient storage capacity of the storage unit 4 can be ensured. It is also possible to increase the number of game machines installed in the game hall by making the distance between the game machines as close as possible. Moreover, since a banknote is conveyed below without changing the attitude | position from the banknote identification part 2 to the banknote accommodating part 4, a conveyance space can be made compact and size reduction of the whole banknote processing apparatus is achieved. Can do.

  Moreover, in the banknote processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the 1st conveyance mechanism 8 supports a banknote from the lower side, without interfering with conveyance of the banknote by the 2nd conveyance mechanism 30, and conveys a banknote in the substantially horizontal direction. It also serves as a guide means for guiding. Therefore, the banknote is transferred to the banknote by the first transport mechanism 8 while the banknote is transported by the first transport mechanism 8 without hindering the transport of the banknote by the second transport mechanism 30 by providing a separate guide member. It can be supported and guided from below so as not to fall into the housing (without shifting downward). As a result, banknotes can be reliably taken into the banknote recognition section, jamming of banknotes and the like can be prevented, and the processing efficiency of banknotes can be improved. In particular, in the present embodiment, the first transport mechanism 8 constitutes the guide means by transporting the banknote while urging the bill upward, so that the guide function can be efficiently and effectively performed with a simple configuration. Obtainable.

  In addition to being installed between various gaming machines, the banknote handling apparatus of the present invention can be installed in various devices that handle banknotes, for example, external devices such as various vending machines.

It is a perspective view of a bill processing device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which shows the internal structure of the banknote processing apparatus of FIG. It is a front view (front view) which shows the internal structure of the banknote processing apparatus of FIG. (A) is a figure which shows the structure of the 1st conveyance mechanism which introduces a banknote, (b) is a figure which shows the structure of the 2nd conveyance mechanism which conveys a banknote in a banknote storage case. (A) is a side view which shows the state at the time of introducing a banknote into a banknote insertion slot, (b) is the front view. (A) is a side view which shows the state by which the banknote was introduce | transduced in the banknote identification part, (b) is the front view. (A) is a side view which shows the state just before the banknote introduced in the banknote identification part is conveyed below, (b) is the front view. (A) is a side view which shows the state in which the banknote introduce | transduced in the banknote identification part is conveyed toward a downward banknote storage case, (b) is the front view. (A) is a side view which shows the state in which a banknote is conveyed to a banknote storage case, (b)-(d) is a figure which shows the pushing operation | movement of a banknote in order. It is a side view which shows the state which collect | recovers the banknote accommodated in the banknote storage case.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Banknote processing apparatus 2 Banknote identification part 4 Banknote accommodating part 8 1st conveyance mechanism (1st conveyance means)
12a, 12b Upper rotating roller 12a ', 12b' Lower rotating roller 30 Second transport mechanism (second transport means)

Claims (4)

A bill recognition unit for receiving and identifying bills in a standing state;
A first transport means for transporting a banknote in a substantially horizontal direction while standing in the banknote recognition unit;
A banknote storage unit that is provided below the banknote recognition unit and stores banknotes in an upright state;
A second transport means for transporting the banknote identified by the banknote recognition section vertically downward to the banknote storage section in an upright state;
With
It said first conveying means also serves as a guide means for guiding the transportation of substantially horizontal bill supported from below the paper money without interfering with the transport of banknotes by the second conveying means, the guide means is characterized that you prevent bills while carrying the paper money in the horizontal direction is shifted to fall or downwardly into the banknote storing portion of the bill identifying portion by said first transfer means Banknote processing device.   The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first transport unit constitutes the guide unit by transporting the banknote while energizing the banknote upward. The first transport means is arranged in parallel on the upper side along the banknote transport path, and a plurality of upper rotating rollers that transport the banknote in direct or indirect contact with the banknote, along the banknote transport path. A plurality of lower rotating rollers that are juxtaposed on the lower side and convey the banknote in direct or indirect contact with the banknote;
Together with the upper rotary roller and the lower rotary roller rotates at the same angular velocity, characterized in that said guide means is constituted by Rukoto diameter of the lower rotary roller is set larger than the diameter of the upper rotating roller The bill processing apparatus according to claim 2. The first transport means is arranged in parallel on the upper side along the banknote transport path, and a plurality of upper rotating rollers that transport the banknote in direct or indirect contact with the banknote, along the banknote transport path. A plurality of lower rotating rollers that are juxtaposed on the lower side and convey the banknote in direct or indirect contact with the banknote;
The bill processing device according to claim 2, wherein said guide means is constituted by the size Kusuru than that of the upper rotating roller a rotational speed of the lower rollers.

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