JP5256416B2 - Banknote handling apparatus and banknote handling apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement of a banknote handling apparatus equipped in a banknote handling apparatus such as various vending machines having a function of depositing banknotes, a deposit / withdrawal apparatus, a money changer, etc. The present invention relates to an improvement of a structure for supporting and pressurizing a banknote stacking base with a single coil spring in a balanced manner.

Banknote handling devices such as various vending machines, deposit / withdrawal machines, money changers, and inter-bank machines used in pachinko amusement halls perform processes such as determining the authenticity of deposited banknotes and storing them in banknote storage. A banknote processing device is provided.
The banknote storage is provided with a rectangular platform that can be moved up and down to stack banknotes that have been sequentially inserted, and the stack of banknotes on the stack is moved upward by urging the stacking table upward with a pressure spring. It is compressed with the presser member provided and stored in a compact form.
In order to detect the presence / absence or fullness of banknotes accurately by detecting the banknotes themselves or the stacking bases using an optical sensor or the like, the stacking bases are inclined or the banknote bundles are biased and compressed. It is necessary to prevent this, and it is necessary to devise measures to prevent the balance of the top and bottom and the left and right of the loading table from being lost and to pressurize the banknote bundle evenly. For this purpose, a well-balanced biasing force to the loading table by the pressure spring is essential.

Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which the lower ends of four tension springs each having an upper end fixed to the upper part of the storage are fixed to the four corners of the stacking base in order to bias the rectangular bill stacking base in a balanced manner. It is disclosed. However, since four tension springs are required, it is difficult to eliminate the problems of increased cost and complicated structure due to an increase in the number of parts.
Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which the bottom surface of the banknote stacking base is urged upward by two cylindrical compression straight coil springs. According to this, the structure can be simplified while maintaining the balance of the loading table by uniformly arranging the coil springs of the same shape along the longitudinal direction of the rectangular loading table, but since the compression straight coil spring is used, the compression spring is used in the compression direction. There is a risk that the compression limit dimension (contact height of the compression coil spring) affects the apparatus height, that is, the height dimension may increase, and there is a limit to the reduction of the height dimension.
Patent Document 3 discloses a configuration in which the bottom surface of a rectangular banknote deposit base is biased upward by two conical compression coil springs. According to this, the structure can be simplified while maintaining the balance of the loading platform, and since the conical compression coil spring is used, the compression limit dimension (contact height of the compression coil spring) is not limited, and the height of the apparatus can be reduced. Can be reduced. However, in this case as well, since two springs are used, there are inconveniences such as an increase in the number of parts and a complicated structure.

Patent Document 4 has a configuration in which the central portion of the bottom surface of the rectangular banknote stack is urged upward by a single conical compression coil spring (the small diameter side end is fixed to the bottom surface of the banknote stack) to reduce the cost. Although disclosed, since the pressing force from the spring acts only on the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the bill stacking table, it is difficult to maintain the balance of the loading table. In particular, it is difficult to return to a horizontal posture when the loading platform is inclined in the longitudinal direction. In addition, in this configuration, in order to keep the banknote bundle loaded on the loading table in a well-balanced manner, it is necessary to keep the banknote bundle in a compressed state with a stronger pressing force, but by strengthening the spring pressing force, The pusher disposed above the loading table must also increase the pushing force for pushing down the banknote bundle on the loading table. For this reason, a stronger and larger structure is required as a pusher drive mechanism, which causes a complicated, large, and high-cost apparatus structure.
Further, in Patent Document 5, the central part of the bottom surface of the rectangular banknote stack is urged upward by a single conical compression coil spring (the large-diameter side end is fixed to the bottom of the banknote stack) to reduce the cost. However, since the diameter of the large-diameter side end of the coil spring must be within the width-direction dimension of the banknote stack, the upper end of the coil spring extends over the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the banknote stack. It is impossible to apply a pressing force, and it is difficult to maintain a balance in the longitudinal direction of the bill stacking table. Further, like Patent Document 4, there is a drawback that it is necessary to reinforce the pusher drive mechanism in order to increase the balance when pressed by the coil spring.
JP-A-57-132291 JP 08-123991 A JP 2003-016499 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-21441 JP 08-153236 A

Conventionally provided with a single coil spring for pressurizing and compressing a banknote bundle with a pressing member disposed upward by energizing a rectangular stack for stacking banknote bundles on the upper surface as described above In the banknote storage box, it is difficult to maintain the posture of the stacking table in a well-balanced manner in the vertical and horizontal directions with a single coil spring, and to uniformly compress the banknote bundle. In particular, when the number of banknotes loaded on the loading table is small, the coil spring is in the most extended state, so it is difficult to maintain the balance of the loading table. If the balance of the loading platform is broken and tilted when the number of stacked banknotes is small, the tilt tends to be maintained and amplified as the number of stacked banknotes increases, even though the number of stacked banknotes has not reached the upper limit. However, the full sensor has detected a fullness, and the full sensor cannot detect the fullness even though the number of stacked banknotes exceeds the upper limit.
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and maintains the balance in the longitudinal direction of the loading table while using a single conical compression coil spring as means for urging the rectangular bill loading table upward from the bottom surface. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a banknote handling apparatus and a banknote handling apparatus that can pressurize evenly even if the banknote bundle on the stacking board is small.

To achieve the above object, a bill processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the invention, the introduction conveying path for conveying the paper money, the loading stand vertically movable rectangular for stacking banknotes which have been conveyed from the introduction conveying path, and A storage provided with a coil spring that is supported at a lower end on a fixed portion disposed below the loading table and is biased upward at all times by being supported by the loading table at an upper end; and A pair of guide pieces that hold the lower surfaces of both edges in the width direction of the bills conveyed along the introduction conveyance path and stopped at the upper part of the storage, and an intermediate portion of the bills that are held at both edges in the width direction by the pair of guide pieces A pusher that can be moved up and down to move over the guide piece pair onto the loading table, and a conveyance member that moves or stops the bill along the introduction conveyance path and the guide piece pair. Banknote handling equipment The coil spring is integrated with a truncated conical spring body having a small diameter at the lower end and a large diameter at the upper end, and a wire constituting the upper end of the spring body. a free elastic piece extending, and a annular seat extending annularly on the outer diameter side of the upper end portion so as to surround the upper end portion of the free elastic piece is integrated with the wire material which constitutes by the spring body, the While the wire rod constituting the annular seat is fixed to the loading table, the free elastic piece can be freely elastically deformed in an unrestrained state with respect to the loading table .
While using a single conical compression coil spring as a means for urging the rectangular banknote stack upward from the bottom, a free elastic piece extending from one end of the coil spring in the outer diameter direction is provided, and this free elastic piece is Since it is connected to the loading table in an unconstrained state (in a state in which free expansion and contraction movement is not restricted by the loading table) and an annular seat for supporting the loading table is provided at the end on the large diameter side, in the longitudinal direction of the loading table Can be maintained, and the banknote bundle on the loading table can be uniformly pressurized. In particular, the free elastic piece has a function of correcting the inclination of the loading table in the longitudinal direction and returning it to the horizontal posture when the coil spring is extended, so that the loading table when the coil spring is compressed by increasing the number of loaded sheets. Can be prevented beforehand. In addition, since there is a single elastic member that urges the loading plate, not only can the number of components be reduced, costs can be reduced, and space can be saved, but also the balance of the loading plate in the longitudinal direction can be ensured. The limited bill storage space can be utilized to the maximum. Also, when detecting the full state of banknotes on the stacking plate or the presence or absence of banknotes, the balance of the stacking plates is maintained and it is easy to maintain a horizontal posture, so that the detection accuracy can be increased.

The banknote processing apparatus according to the invention of 請 Motomeko 2, wherein the annular seat is characterized in that it comprises a rectangular annular structure extending along the outer peripheral edge of the mounting base.
In the banknote handling apparatus according to the invention of claim 3, the annular seat has an elliptical annular structure or an oval annular structure.
A banknote handling apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes the banknote handling apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects.

According to the banknote handling apparatus according to the present invention, as a coil spring for urging the banknote stack upward, a spring body having a truncated cone shape with a large upper end and a small lower end (reverse) truncated cone, and the spring body And a free elastic piece that is integrated with the wire constituting the upper end portion of the large diameter and extends to the outer diameter side of the upper end portion, and the free elastic piece is connected to the loading table. The free elastic piece exhibits a function of correcting the posture of the loading table inclined in the longitudinal direction by the spring force and returning it to the horizontal posture on the condition that it can freely expand and contract without being restrained by the loading table. For this reason, while using a single conical compression coil spring as a means for urging the rectangular banknote loading table upward from the bottom surface, the balance in the longitudinal direction of the loading table can be maintained, and A banknote bundle can be uniformly pressurized. In particular, at the initial stage when the number of banknotes loaded on the stacking board is small, the free elastic piece can exert its elastic restoring force (free expansion and contraction force) to the maximum. By eliminating this, it is possible to prevent the inclination at the stage where the number of stacked sheets increases and the spring body is strongly compressed.
In addition, an annular seat is arranged on the outer diameter side of the upper end portion so as to be integrated with the end portion of the free elastic piece so as to surround the upper end portion of the spring body, and this annular seat is attached to the loading table. Therefore, it is possible to stably support the loading table while fully utilizing the posture returning function of the loading table by the free elastic piece.

Hereinafter, the banknote processing apparatus of this invention is demonstrated in detail by embodiment shown in drawing.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a banknote handling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2A and 2B are a side longitudinal sectional view showing a state before the banknote is pushed into the banknote handling apparatus, and a front view. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, FIG. 3 (a) and (b) are the side part longitudinal cross-sectional views which show the banknote pushing state of a banknote processing apparatus, and a front longitudinal cross-sectional view, and FIG. 4 (a) and (b) are banknotes. It is the side part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the banknote pushing completion state of a processing apparatus, and a front longitudinal cross-sectional view, FIG. 5 is internal structure explanatory drawing which abbreviate | omitted the conveyance member, FIG.6 (a) (b) (c) and (D) is a perspective view showing the relationship between the loading platform in the raised position and the coil spring, a configuration explanatory view of the coil spring, a perspective view of the coil spring, and a plan view of the coil spring, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing an example of a connection state with the loading table, and FIG. 8 shows the product in a lowered state. Is a perspective view showing the relationship between the base and the coil spring.

This banknote processing apparatus 1 is equipped, for example, in a machine between pachinko machines, and has a configuration for storing various banknotes inserted from an insertion port by a user in an internal banknote storage in a stacked state. .
The banknote handling apparatus 1 includes a banknote insertion slot 2 that receives a banknote S inserted with one edge in the longitudinal direction at the top, an introduction conveyance path 3 that conveys a banknote inserted from the banknote insertion slot 2 into the apparatus, and an introduction conveyance. The lower and upper ends are supported on a stackable base 21 that can be moved up and down, and a fixed portion (storage bottom) 20a disposed below the stacking base 21, and the upper end is supported by the stacking base. The banknote storage 20 provided with an elastic member (coil spring) 22 that constantly biases the stacking base upward, and the width of the banknote transported along the introduction transport path 3 and stopped at the top of the banknote storage 20 The pair of guide pieces 30 that hold the lower surfaces of the both ends in the direction, and the elevator that can be moved up and down on the stacking table 21 by pushing down the middle part of the banknotes that are held by the guide pieces pair 30 in the width direction. Pusher 35 and lead Conveying path 3, a conveying member 40 for stopping or moving the bill along the guide piece pair 30, a control unit 45 for controlling the conveying member 40.

In the present embodiment, the introduction conveyance path 3 is connected to the introduction conveyance path front part 4 that conveys the banknote inserted from the banknote insertion slot 2 in the lateral direction (right direction in the drawing) and the downstream side of the introduction conveyance path front part 4. The reversal conveyance path 5 which reverses the banknote S currently installed and conveyed by the introduction conveyance path front part 4 is provided. An identification device for discriminating the denomination and authenticity of the banknote to be transported is disposed at an appropriate position on the introduction transport path 3.
The conveyance member 40 includes a belt 42 stretched endlessly by the roller 41 over the introduction conveyance path 3 and the upper part of the banknote storage 20 (the upper part of the guide pair 30), and a pulse motor M that drives the drive roller 41a. The belt 42 is controlled to run and stop when the driving roller 41a is driven by the pulse motor M. The belt 42 is composed of two belts arranged along both widthwise opposite edges corresponding to the widthwise opposite edges of the bill conveyed on the introduction conveyance path 3 and the guide piece pair 30, and the introduction conveyance path 3 upper surface; The paper is conveyed downstream by the frictional force of the belt surface while sandwiching both edges of the bill between the upper surface of the guide piece pair 30. The bills conveyed onto the guide piece pair 30 are stopped at a predetermined position on the guide piece pair 30 in order to be transferred onto the stacking base 21 of the bill storage 20 located below.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the guide piece pair 30 has a configuration that protrudes a predetermined length from the opposing inner wall of the banknote storage 20, and the belt 42 is provided on each guide piece pair 30. A banknote can be hold | maintained by supporting the lower surface of the width direction (short direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of a banknote) both ends edge of the banknote S conveyed from the inversion conveyance path 5. FIG.
The pusher 35 is a plate member configured to move up and down in a space formed between the pair of opposing guide pieces 30. In this example, the pusher 35 is operated by a motor (not shown) by operating a pantograph type lifting mechanism 36. It is possible to advance and retreat between the ascending position (retracted position) shown in (b) and the descending position (pressed position) shown in FIG. When the bill S1 is stopped on the guide piece pair 30 as shown in FIG. 2B, the pusher 35 is lowered by operating the lifting mechanism 36 as shown in FIG. 3B, so that the pusher 35 becomes the width of the bill S1. Press down on the upper surface of the center of the direction. When the pusher 35 moves downward beyond the guide piece pair 30, both edges of the width direction (short direction) of the bill are deformed and detached from the upper surface of the guide piece pair 30 and moved downward via the space, and the bill Both end edges in the width direction of S1 completely separate from the guide piece pair 30. In the process of lowering the pusher 35, the central portion of the bill S 1 that is in contact with the lower surface of the pusher 35 comes into contact with the upper surface of the already loaded bill S 2 on the loading table 21 that is biased upward by the elastic member 22. The loading table 21 is pressed downward against this. Then, when the both edges in the width direction of the banknote S1 have lowered the distance at which the pair of guide pieces 30 are completely removed, the pusher is stopped from descending, and the transfer onto the loading table is completed. That is, after the pusher is further lowered from the state of FIG. 3B and both edges of the bill S1 are separated from the guide piece pair 30 to complete the transfer onto the stacking table 21, the pusher is moved to the position shown in FIG. ) To the ascending position and waits until the next conveyed banknote reaches a predetermined position on the guide piece pair 30 and stops.

As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), a photo interrupter 46 as a full detection sensor is provided at the lower part of the inner wall of the storage cabinet 20, and detects a light shielding piece 21a projecting at a corresponding position on the loading table 21 side. It is configured as possible. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the stacking table 21 is in the raised position above the photo interrupter, the light shielding piece 21a does not actuate the photo interrupter 46, while the bill on the stacking table is shown in FIG. When the stacking table 21 is lowered to the lowest lowered position, the light shielding piece 21a operates the photo interrupter 46 and outputs a full detection signal to the control unit 45. At this time, the control unit 45 shifts the full display unit (not shown) to the display state.
In this way, the sensor for full detection detects the fullness with the height position of the light-shielding piece 21a provided on the loading base 21 as a clue, so that the loading base 21 is inclined in the width direction and the longitudinal direction. When in a non-horizontal state, it becomes impossible to accurately detect fullness.

  A characteristic configuration of the present invention is that the lower end portion has a small diameter as an elastic member (coil spring) 22 that urges the stacking table 21 upward to clamp the banknote bundle on the stacking table between the lower surfaces of the guide piece pair 30. A truncated cone-shaped spring main body 51 whose upper end portion forms a large-diameter side end portion 53 at the side end portion 52, and a terminal portion of a wire (wire) constituting the large-diameter side end portion (circular portion) 53 of the spring main body 51. 53a and a free elastic piece 54 extending to the outer diameter side of the large-diameter side end 53, and a large-diameter side end 53 of the spring body integrated and connected to the end 54a of the free elastic piece 54. A conical compression coil spring (more precisely, a truncated conical compression coil spring with a notch at the top (reverse)) provided with a substantially rectangular annular ring seat 55 extending in a rectangular ring shape toward the outer diameter side of Yes (see FIGS. 6C and 6D). The free elastic piece 54 is locked (fixed) to the loading platform 21 in the section from the terminal end 53a at the large-diameter side end to the starting end 55a of the annular seat 55, that is, the terminal end 54a of the free elastic piece. It is configured so that it can freely expand and contract. That is, the free elastic piece 54 is connected to the loading table 21 in an unconstrained state (in a state where a free expansion / contraction operation is not restricted by the loading table). The annular seat 55 is a means for connecting the free elastic piece 54 to the loading table 21, and is connected along the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the rectangular loading table 21. By supporting the bottom surface of the loading table 21 with the elastic member 22 having such a configuration, the balance in the longitudinal direction of the loading table can be maintained, and the banknote bundle on the loading table can be uniformly pressed, It is possible to maintain the loading platform in a horizontal posture.

That is, in the present invention, when attaching the elastic member 22 as a conical compression coil spring to the bottom surface of the loading table 21, the wire constituting the large-diameter side end 53 of the spring body 51 is directly attached to the surface of the loading table 21. Instead, the end portion 54a of the free elastic piece 54 connected to the outer diameter side of the large diameter side end portion 53 and the wire constituting the annular seat 55 are arranged along the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface of the rectangular loading platform. Yes.
Due to the nature of the conical compression coil spring, the large-diameter end 53 is more easily elastically deformed than the small-diameter end 52. That is, when there is variation in the thickness of the banknote bundle stacked on the stacking base 21, for example, the thickness in the longitudinal direction of the banknote bundle due to folds or the like, the stacking base is inclined in the longitudinal direction and the balance is easily lost. In this case, the large-diameter side end portion 53 side is more easily deformed than the small-diameter side end portion 52.
In particular, the free elastic piece 54 is a wire connected continuously from the terminal end 53 a of the large-diameter side end (circular or arcuate part) 53 of the spring body 51, and is located before the terminal end 54 a of the free elastic piece 54. The intermediate portion is not locked to the loading table 21 (see FIG. 7). That is, the wire constituting the large-diameter side end 53 and the wire constituting the free elastic piece 54 are not locked to the loading table 21 and can be freely elastically deformed. As a result, the free elastic piece 54 is inclined and loaded. The function of returning the table to the horizontal posture can be exhibited extremely effectively. Therefore, if the end portion 54a of the free elastic piece 54 can be stably fixed to the loading table 21, the function of returning to the horizontal posture by the free elastic piece 54 can be effectively exhibited.

When the annular seat 55 is connected to the end portion 54a of the free elastic piece 54 as in the present embodiment, a relatively small and simple structure of the loading platform 21 is provided at an appropriate position of the annular seat 55 after the end portion 54a. It can be locked (fixed) with a fastener.
The return force (posture correction force) to the horizontal posture by the free elastic piece 54 is limited to a stage where the number of banknotes stacked on the stacking board is small, in other words, a stage where the elastic member 22 is relatively extended. When the number of loaded sheets increases and the load in the compression direction applied to the elastic member 22 becomes excessive and becomes a compressed state, the free elastic piece 54 has already become impossible to freely expand and contract. This is because the function of returning the table to the horizontal posture cannot be exhibited. However, the inclination of the loading platform when the number of loaded sheets increases is often formed by maintaining and amplifying the inclination when the number of loaded sheets is small. 54 fully exhibits the correction function for returning the inclination of the loading table to the horizontal, so that most of the inclination when the number of loaded sheets increases can be prevented.
It is desirable that the wire constituting the free elastic piece 54 and the annular seat 55 is integrally formed by extending the wire constituting the large-diameter side end 53 of the coil spring as the elastic member 22. Alternatively, although it is somewhat disadvantageous in terms of cost, the end of the wire constituting the annular seat 55 may be fixed to the end of the wire constituting the large diameter side end 53 by welding or the like later.

Next, the characteristics of the conical compression coil spring and the problems when the free elastic piece 54 is not provided will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIGS. 9A and 9B show a simplified model when the large-diameter side end of the conical compression coil spring is fixed on the lower side and the small-diameter side end 52 is fixed on the bottom surface of the loading table 21. As shown in (b), when the loading table 21 side inclines in the longitudinal direction, the load (F) generated by compressing and deforming the large diameter side first is the contact between the small diameter end of the coil spring and the loading table 21. A return moment M1 = F × L1 is obtained which acts on the position to return the loading platform to the horizontal posture.
Next, FIGS. 10A and 10B show a simplified model in the case where the small-diameter end of the conical compression coil spring is fixed on the lower side and the large-diameter end 53 is fixed on the bottom surface of the loading table 21. ing. As shown in FIG. 10B, the load (F) generated when the loading table 21 is tilted in the longitudinal direction acts on the contact portion between the large-diameter side end of the coil spring and the loading table to return the loading table to the horizontal position. The return moment M2 = F × L2 to be obtained is obtained.
Here, if L1 <L2 and the load (F) generated by the deformation of the end portion on the large diameter side is the same, the return moment of the loading table 21 is M1 <M2. This reveals that when the conical compression coil spring is used as the elastic member 22, the loading table is inclined when the large-diameter end 53 is attached to the loading table 21 as shown in FIG. 10. It is advantageous in obtaining the return force in the case of.

Space saving is demanded for a bill processing apparatus with a storage used as a pedestrian or the like, and the width and depth of the storage 20 are slightly larger than the maximum size of the bill. Therefore, the diameter of the large-diameter end of the conical compression coil spring that biases the loading table is also restricted by the area of the loading table.
As shown in FIG. 10, if the large-diameter side end of the conical compression coil spring is fixed to the bottom surface of the loading table, the shape of the large-diameter side edge portion 53 can be increased up to the width of the loading table. Therefore, the inclination of the loading platform in the width direction can be suppressed. However, due to the dimensional restrictions on the conical compression coil spring, it is impossible to increase the size of the large-diameter side end so as to reach the full length in the longitudinal direction of the loading table. For this reason, even if it has the structure of FIG. 10 with respect to the inclination to the longitudinal direction of a mounting base, sufficient return force cannot be obtained. In other words, the state of being inclined in the longitudinal direction continues, and a situation in which erroneous detection by the full detection sensor is likely to occur.

Therefore, in the present invention, in order to ensure a sufficient returning force to the horizontal posture even with respect to the inclination of the loading table in the longitudinal direction, the wire material constituting the large-diameter side end of the conical compression coil spring ( A free elastic piece 54 that is integrated with the wire and extends toward the outer diameter side of the large-diameter end 53 is provided. Furthermore, in order to secure the mounting stability of the free elastic piece 54 to the loading table 21, an annular seat 55 that is flush with the large-diameter circular portion located at the large-diameter end 53 is provided with a substantially entire length in the longitudinal direction of the loading table bottom surface. It fixed so that it might extend over.
A free elastic piece 54 and an annular seat 55 are connected to the tip of the small-diameter end 52 of the elastic member 22, and the annular seat is fixed to the bottom surface of the loading table 21, and the large-diameter end 53 is stored. In the case of being configured to be fixed to the bottom 20a of the cabinet 20, although the return force to the horizontal posture can be improved, the reduction in the return force to the horizontal posture due to the upside down of the elastic member 22 is reached. However, since the thickness when the pressure is applied until the elastic member 22 becomes flat is thickened by one wire, there is a demerit that the bill storage space corresponding to the thickness is reduced.
11A and 11B, the free elastic piece 54 and the annular seat 55 are provided at the large-diameter side end 53, and the free elastic piece 54 and the annular seat 55 are provided at the small-diameter side end 52. It is the schematic which shows each support structure in a case.

When the bottom surface of the loading platform 21 is supported by the annular seat 55 provided at the large-diameter end 53 as shown in FIG. 11A, one wire is used when the elastic member 22 is compressed to the limit as shown by the broken line. The height dimension is equal to the total thickness t3 of the minute thickness t1 and the thickness t2 of the loading table 21.
On the other hand, when the bottom surface of the loading platform 21 is supported by the annular seat 55 provided at the small-diameter side end 52 as shown in FIG. 11B, the wire rod when the elastic member 22 is compressed to the limit as shown by the broken line. A bill having a height corresponding to the total thickness t5 of the thickness t4 of two and the thickness t2 of the stack 21 and formed on the stack 21 by the thickness of one wire (for four to five bills). Storage space will be reduced. For this reason, the configuration of FIG. 11B is not suitable for space saving. However, the configuration shown in FIG. 11B can also be adopted as long as the storage does not place importance on the thickness of one wire.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the annular seat 55 is not limited to a rectangle, and may be, for example, an ellipse shown in FIG. 12A or an ellipse shown in FIG. In each drawing, the boundary between the large-diameter side end portion 53, the free elastic piece 54, and the annular seat 55 is shown.
Further, it is preferable that the connection portion between the annular seat 55 and the loading platform is as far as possible from the terminal portion 53 a of the large-diameter side end portion 53 of the spring body 51.
4 (a) and 5 is a photo 60 which is turned on and off by a rotating lever 62 configured to be movable up and down around a shaft 61 and a light shielding piece 63 provided on the rotating lever 62. A bill presence / absence detection mechanism comprising an interrupter 70. When the detection protrusion 64 protruding from the lower edge of the rotation lever 62 comes into contact with the upper surface of the banknote on the stacking table, the rotation lever 62 rotates upward, and the light shielding piece 63 operates the photo interrupter 70 to make the banknote. It is configured to output “Yes”. When no bill is present, the light-shielding piece 63 is kept away from the photointerrupter 70 by fitting the projection 64 into the avoidance hole provided in the stacking base 21.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the coil spring as the elastic member 22 that urges the banknote stack 21 upward is formed in a (reverse) truncated conical shape with the upper end 53 having a large diameter and the lower end 52 having a small diameter. A spring body 51 and a free elastic piece 54 that is integrated with the wire constituting the upper end portion of the large diameter of the spring body and extends to the outer diameter side of the upper end portion, and connects the free elastic piece to the loading platform. ing. The free elastic piece 54 exhibits a function of correcting the posture of the loading table inclined in the longitudinal direction by the spring force and returning it to the horizontal posture on the condition that it can freely expand and contract without being restrained by the loading table. For this reason, while using a single conical compression coil spring as a means for urging the rectangular banknote loading table upward from the bottom surface, the balance in the longitudinal direction of the loading table can be maintained, and A banknote bundle can be uniformly pressurized. In particular, at the initial stage when the number of banknotes loaded on the stacking board is small, the free elastic piece can exert its elastic restoring force (free expansion and contraction force) to the maximum. By eliminating this, it is possible to prevent the inclination at the stage where the number of stacked sheets increases and the spring body is strongly compressed.

In addition, an annular seat is arranged on the outer diameter side of the upper end portion so as to be integrated with the end portion of the free elastic piece so as to surround the upper end portion of the spring body, and this annular seat is attached to the loading table. Therefore, it is possible to stably support the loading table while fully utilizing the posture returning function of the loading table by the free elastic piece.
Furthermore, since there is a single elastic member that urges the loading plate, not only can the number of components be reduced, costs can be reduced, and space can be saved, but also the balance of the loading plate in the longitudinal direction can be ensured. The limited storage space can be utilized to the maximum.
Also, when detecting the full state of banknotes on the stacking plate or the presence or absence of banknotes, the balance of the stacking plates is maintained and it is easy to maintain a horizontal posture, so that the detection accuracy can be increased.
In addition, the banknote processing apparatus 1 of this invention can be applied to banknote handling apparatuses, such as various vending machines, depositing / withdrawing apparatuses, a change machine, and the machine between machines used in a pachinko game hall.

It is an appearance perspective view of a bill processing device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. (A) And (b) is the side part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state before the banknote press of a banknote processing apparatus, and a front longitudinal cross-sectional view. (A) And (b) is the side part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the banknote pushing state of a banknote processing apparatus, and a front longitudinal cross-sectional view. (A) And (b) is the side part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the banknote pushing completion state of a banknote processing apparatus, and a front longitudinal cross-sectional view. It is internal structure explanatory drawing which abbreviate | omitted the conveyance member. (A), (b), (c), and (d) are a perspective view showing a relationship between a loading platform and a coil spring at a raised position, a configuration explanatory view of the coil spring, a perspective view of the coil spring, and a plan view of the coil spring. It is a bottom view which shows an example of the connection state of the large diameter side edge part of a coil spring, and a mounting base. It is a perspective view which shows the relationship between the mounting base and coil spring in the state which fell. (A) And (b) is the figure which showed the simple model at the time of fixing to the loading-base bottom face by fixing the large diameter side edge part of a conical compression coil spring as a lower side, and making a small diameter side edge part the upper side. (A) And (b) is the figure which showed the simple model at the time of fixing to the loading-base bottom face with the small diameter side edge part of a conical compression coil spring fixed as the lower side, and the large diameter side edge part as the upper side. (A) And (b) is the schematic which shows each support structure when the annular seat is provided in the large diameter side end, and when the annular seat is provided in the small diameter side end. (A) And (b) is a figure which shows the other structural example of an annular seat.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Banknote processing apparatus, 2 ... Banknote insertion port, 3 ... Introduction conveyance path, 4 ... Introduction conveyance path front part, 5 ... Reverse conveyance path, 20 ... Banknote storage, 20a ... Bottom part, 21 ... Loading platform, 21a ... Light shielding Pieces 22 ... Elastic members 30 ... Guide piece pairs 35 ... Pushers 36 ... Lifting mechanisms 40 ... Conveying members
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 41 ... Roller, 41a ... Drive roller, 42 ... Belt, 45 ... Control part, 46 ... Photo interrupter, 51 ... Spring main body, 52 ... Small diameter side end, 53 ... Large diameter side end, 54 ... Free elastic piece,
55 ... annular seat

Claims (4)

A lower end portion is supported on an introduction conveyance path for conveying banknotes, a vertically movable rectangular loading table for loading banknotes conveyed from the introduction conveyance path , and a fixed portion disposed below the loading table; A storage box provided with a coil spring that constantly urges the loading table upward by supporting the upper end of the loading table, and a banknote transported along the introduction conveyance path and stopped at the upper part of the storage package A pair of guide pieces that hold the lower surfaces of both edges in the width direction, and a lift that pushes down an intermediate part of the bills that are held at both edges in the width direction by the pair of guide pieces and moves over the guide pieces pair onto the stacking table. A bill processing apparatus comprising a free pusher, and a conveyance member that moves or stops the bill along the introduction conveyance path and the pair of guide pieces,
The coil spring is integrated with a truncated conical spring main body having a small diameter at the lower end and a large diameter at the upper end, and a wire constituting the upper end of the spring main body, to the outer diameter side of the upper end. A free elastic piece that extends, and an annular seat that is integrated with the wire constituting the free elastic piece and extends annularly on the outer diameter side of the upper end so as to surround the upper end of the spring body ,
The banknote processing apparatus , wherein the wire constituting the annular seat is fixed to the loading table, and the free elastic piece is freely elastically deformed in an unconstrained state with respect to the loading table . The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the annular seat has a rectangular annular structure extending along an outer peripheral edge of the loading table . The banknote processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the annular seat has an elliptical annular structure or an oval annular structure . Bill handling apparatus characterized by comprising a banknote handling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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