JP6868312B2 - Paper leaf transport device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a paper sheet conveying equipment for conveying the sheets such as banknotes by the action of the air stream is generated in the conveying pipe, in particular, gaming machines and game medium lending machine curved in sequence the game machine It relates to a paper sheet conveying equipment installed inside the island.

Inside the game machine island, which houses multiple sets of game media lending machines that lend game media (medals, etc.) to players in response to the insertion of banknotes and game machines such as slot machines, each A transport device for transporting the bills inserted into the game medium lending machine to a safe provided at the end of the game machine island is provided along the longitudinal direction of the game machine island. In the middle of the transport path, a take-in device for taking in the bills discharged from the game medium lender into the transport path is provided for each game medium lender.

In recent years, a game machine island (referred to as a round island) in which game machines and game medium lending machines are arranged in an arc shape or the like has been devised in order to correspond to various installation forms of game machines in a game hall. In order to transport banknotes and the like to a safe on such a circular island, it is necessary to form a transport path in an arc shape along the inside of the circular island.

When forming an arc-shaped transport path along the inside of a circular island, it is conceivable to connect a straight portion and a curved portion curved in an arc shape. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a paper piece transfer device in which a linear transfer device and a curved transfer device are connected to form a curved shape of a game machine island.

By the way, when fixing the transport path inside the game machine island, a transport fixture (clamp) is attached to the back of the game medium lending machine having a bill discharge port, and a rigid linear frame is attached to the transport fixing bracket. By fitting, a reference of the transport path is created, and by attaching various members constituting the transport path to the frame, the positions thereof are secured. That is, since a take-in device for taking in the bills discharged from the game medium lending machine into the transport path is provided in the middle of the carrying path, the taking-in device is in the correct position corresponding to the game medium lending machine. The transport path is assembled with reference to the frame held by the transport fixture attached to the back of the game medium lending machine so that it can be attached.

When the distance between the game medium lending machine and the game medium lending machine becomes long, the distance between adjacent transport fixtures also becomes long, so that the transport path may hang down in the middle due to the weight of the transport path. Therefore, in addition to the transport fixture attached to the back of the game medium lending machine, an island-mounted transport fixture to be attached to other parts of the game machine island is prepared, and the island-mounted transport fixture is attached to the appropriate place on the game machine island. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the transport path from hanging down. Since the island-mounted transport fixture cannot be installed in a place where various equipment and wiring installed on the game machine island exist, it is installed in a position avoiding them.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-81249

On a curved game machine island such as a round island, a transport path is formed by connecting a straight portion and a curved portion, but in order to support the entire transport path with the above-mentioned frame, the curvature of the curved portion is supported. You will also need a curved frame. However, it is difficult to create a highly rigid frame that serves as a reference for a transport path while maintaining accuracy at an arbitrary curvature. Further, since the curvature of curved game machine islands such as round islands varies depending on the game field, it is not preferable to prepare frames having various curvatures from the viewpoint of common parts.

On the other hand, if only the straight portion is supported by the frame and the curved portion is supported by the transport path of the straight portion connected to the curved portion, it is difficult to keep the transport path of the curved portion at an accurate position. .. That is, since micro-vibration occurs due to collision with the inner wall when the bill or the like passes through the curved portion, the curved portion moves and the connection with the straight portion on the upstream side is established while the bill or the like repeatedly passes. It may come off.

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, to provide a sheet conveying equipment which can be reliably fixed to the straight portion of the curved portion of the conveying path by connecting the bending portion and the straight portion The purpose is.

The gist of the present invention for achieving such an object lies in the inventions of the following items.

[1] It has a transport path extending along the inside of the game machine island where the game machine and the game medium lending machine are arranged, and transporting the paper sheets discharged from the game medium lending machine to a predetermined place. ,
The transport path is formed by connecting a straight portion forming a section in which the transported object travels straight and a curved portion forming a section in which the transported object bends.
The curved portion is held by a transport path fixture fixed to the gaming machine island, and is held.
The transport path fixture paper sheet conveying apparatus characterized by having a contact portion that contacts the two directions on the outer peripheral side wall surface of the curved portion of the curved corners.

It is a top view which shows the schematic structure of the paper leaf transporting apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention provided on a round island. It is a perspective view which shows the paper leaf transporting apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention provided on a round island. It is a figure which shows the structure of the part provided in the safe of the island edge in the paper leaf transport apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the transport auxiliary body pushes and moves a bill in a transport pipe from the rear end side of the bill. It is a perspective view which shows the transport pipe in the straight part. It is sectional drawing of the transport pipe in the straight part. It is a figure which shows the plane and the front surface of the transport auxiliary body. It is sectional drawing which passes through the central axis of the transport auxiliary body in the state which the transport auxiliary body is inserted in the transport pipe. It is sectional drawing which shows the turn part. It is a perspective view which shows the turn part. It is a perspective view which shows a part section of a transport pipe. It is an exploded perspective view which shows by disassembling the transport pipe of the section shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows the transport pipe of the section corresponding to FIG. It is a top view which shows the transport pipe of the section corresponding to FIG. It is a figure which shows a part of the transport path in the state which the game medium lending machine is attached. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the banknote taking-in device. It is a perspective view which shows the curved tube part. It is a perspective view which saw the curved pipe part holding metal fittings diagonally from the upstream side. It is a perspective view which looked at the curved pipe part holding metal fittings from the diagonally downstream side. It is a front view which shows the curved pipe part holding metal fitting. It is a left side view which shows the curved pipe part holding metal fittings. It is a rear view which shows the curved pipe part holding metal fittings. It is a top view which shows the curved pipe part holding metal fittings. It is a bottom view which shows the curved pipe part holding metal fittings. It is a figure which shows the way of attaching the curved pipe part holding metal fitting to the end part of a frame member. It is a perspective view which shows the state which held the curved pipe part by the curved pipe part holding metal fitting attached to the downstream end of the frame member. It is a perspective view which shows the turn part holding member which holds a turn part. It is a perspective view which shows the turn part holding member which holds the turn part at the position which is some distance away from the banknote taking-in device. It is a figure which shows the state which held the turn part by the turn holding member of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the transport path of the paper leaf transport device installed in the game machine island provided so as to surround a pillar. It is a top view which shows the transport path of the paper leaf transport device installed in the game machine island provided so as to surround a pillar. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the corner curved pipe holding member. It is a perspective view which shows the state which held the corner curved pipe by the corner curved pipe holding member. It is a perspective view which shows the example of another corner curved pipe holding member. It is a perspective view which shows the state which held the corner curved pipe by the corner curved pipe holding member.

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

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a paper leaf transport device 10 incorporated in a circular island according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the paper leaf transport device 10 incorporated in a circular island. It is a figure. In the present embodiment, the paper leaf transport device 10 is a set of a game medium lending machine 3 for lending a game medium (medal) to a player in response to a bill being inserted and a game machine 4 such as a slot machine. Is provided inside a circular island (game machine island 2) in which a plurality of sets are arranged in an arc shape with the front facing outward, and the bills discharged from the back of each game medium lending machine 3 are taken in and the game machine island 2 is taken in. It is configured as a bill transporting device for transporting to the safe 5 provided at the end of the slingshot. In FIG. 2, the gaming machine 4 is not shown. Further, FIG. 3 shows the internal configuration of the safe 5.

The paper leaf transport device 10 includes a transport pipe 12 that serves as a transport path for banknotes 6 (paper leaves), and an air flow generator (blower) 14 (blower) 14 that generates an air flow that flows in the extending direction in the transport pipe 12. (See FIG. 3). The transport pipe 12 extends in an arc shape along the inside of the game machine island 2 (the game medium lending machine 3 and the game machine 4 arranged in an arc shape). In the paper leaf transport device 10, a transport auxiliary body 16 that can move in the transport pipe 12 by receiving an air flow is inserted into the transport pipe 12 on the upstream side of the bill 6 to be transported, and the transport auxiliary body 16 is used. The bill 6 in the transport pipe 12 is pushed and moved from the rear to be transported downstream.

In the game machine island 2 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an air flow generator 14 and a bill separation / transport auxiliary circulation device 20 are provided inside the safe 5. The bill separation / transport auxiliary body circulation device 20 includes the function of the transport auxiliary body insertion device 21 that sends the transport auxiliary body 16 into the transport pipe 12, and the bill 6 and the transport auxiliary body 16 that pushes and moves the bill 6 from behind. It has a function of a separation / recovery device 22 for separating and collecting each of the above, and also has a function of returning the collected transport assist body 16 to the transport assist body insertion device 21 and circulating the recovered body. The banknotes 6 collected by the separation / collection device 22 are housed in a banknote storage unit (not shown) in the safe 5.

The air blowout side (air blowout passage 14a) of the air flow generator 14 is connected to the air inlet side of the transfer auxiliary body insertion device 21, and the start end of the transfer pipe 12 is connected to the air outlet side of the transfer auxiliary body insertion device 21. It is connected. The transport pipe 12 has an outward path 12a extending in an arc shape from the air outlet side of the transport auxiliary body insertion device 21 to the other end of the game machine island 2, and a turn that folds back in a U shape at the other end. It is composed of a portion 12b (see FIG. 2) and a return route 12c that is extended so as to return to the safe 5 along the outward route 12a above the outward route 12a after being folded back at the turn portion 12b. The end of the return path 12c is connected to the air inlet side of the separation / recovery device 22 (see FIG. 3), and the air suction side (air suction passage 14b) of the air flow generator 14 is on the air outlet side of the separation / recovery device 22. It is connected.

The air flow generator 14 generates an air flow by rotating a fan with a motor. The air flow generated by the air flow generator 14 flows from the air blowing passage 14a through the transport auxiliary body insertion device 21 to the start end of the transport pipe 12, passes through the outward path 12a, the turn portion 12b, and the return path 12c, and then the separation / recovery device 22. , Flows so as to be drawn into the suction side of the air flow generator 14 through the air suction passage 14b.

The outward path 12a and the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12 are formed into an arc shape along the inside of the game machine island 2 as a whole by connecting a straight straight pipe portion and a curved curved pipe portion, respectively. In the straight pipe portion constituting the return route 12c, the bills 6 discharged from the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3 are placed in the transport pipe 12 (straight pipe portion of the return route 12c) at the positions corresponding to each game medium lending machine 3. A bill taking-in device 24 for taking in is provided. The bill taking device 24 includes a passage portion 51 (see FIG. 15) forming a part of the straight pipe portion of the return path 12c, and the bill 6 is taken into the passage portion 51.

The bill 6 taken into the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12 from the bill take-in device 24 stays at the take-in completion position with its paper surface in a posture along the extending direction of the transport pipe 12. In order to transport and collect the bills 6 that have been taken into the transport pipe 12 (passage portion of the bill taking device 24) to the safe 5, the transport auxiliary body 16 is transported by the transport auxiliary body insertion device 21. It is sent into 12. The transport auxiliary body 16 sent from the transport auxiliary body insertion device 21 into the transport pipe 12 moves in the outward path 12a toward the turn portion 12b under the action of the air flow generated by the air flow generator 14. After making a U-turn at the turn portion 12b, the vehicle further moves in the return path 12c toward the end portion. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the banknote 6 in the transport pipe 12 is pushed and moved by the transport auxiliary body 16 from the rear end side of the bill 6 toward the end portion of the transport pipe 12 (in the figure). (To the transport direction F) The bill 6 is transported.

The banknote separation / transport auxiliary body circulation device 20, the banknote capture device 24, etc. of the paper sheet transport device 10 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like as main parts. It operates under the control of a control unit (not shown). In this example, the air flow generator 14 is always operated, and when the sensor provided in the bill taking device 24 detects the bill 6 ejected from the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3, the control unit is a bill taking device. 24 is operated to take the bill 6 into the transport pipe 12. Then, when this taking-in operation is completed, the transport assist body 16 is fed into the transport pipe 12 from the transport assist body insertion device 21. Then, the transport assisting body 16 moves in the transport pipe 12 from the outward path 12a to the turn portion 12b and the return path 12c under the action of the air flow, and in the return path 12c, the banknote 6 staying in the middle of the return path 12c is moved backward. Push and move from to transport. When the separation / recovery device 22 detects the arrival of the transport auxiliary body 16, the bill 6 and the transport auxiliary body 16 are separated and collected, and the collected transport auxiliary body 16 is used as a transport auxiliary body insertion device in preparation for the next transmission. The operation is controlled such that the bill 6 is guided to 21 and the collected bill 6 is conveyed to the bill storage unit in the safe 5.

The air flow generator 14 operates only when necessary (for example, from the time when the bill taking device 24 detects the bill 6 discharged from the game medium lending machine 3 to the time when the bill is completely transported to the safe 5). It may be controlled so as to cause.

In this way, the transport assisting body 16 moves under the action of the air flow, and the bill 6 is pushed and moved from the rear end side by the transport assisting body 16 to transport the bill 6, so that the bill 6 itself receives the air flow and has a propulsive force. No need to get. Therefore, the bill 6 can be conveyed by the air flow without taking measures such as bending the bill 6 to receive the air flow. Further, since the transport auxiliary body 16 can obtain the propulsive force from the air flow more efficiently than the bill 6, the bill can be transported efficiently.

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

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the transport pipe 12 forming a part of the straight pipe portion, and FIG. 6 shows the extension direction F (= banknote transport direction F = air flow direction) of the transport pipe 12 of the same portion. It is sectional drawing which shows the vertical sectional shape. The transport pipe 12 is made of a resin having a thickness of about 1.5 mm. The transport pipe 12 is formed by, for example, extrusion molding. The inner shape of the transport pipe 12 is the same for the curved pipe portion.

The cross-sectional shape of the cross section of the straight portion of the transport pipe 12 perpendicular to the extending direction F is such that the central portion of the left and right side walls of the vertically long rectangular shape extends outward into a rectangular shape. Specifically, the transport pipe 12 includes upper and lower wall portions 31, left and right side wall portions 32, and expansion portions 33 that project outward in a rectangular shape at the central portion of the left and right side wall portions 32 in the vertical direction. The short side direction in the substantially rectangular cross section perpendicular to the extension direction (transport direction F) of the transport pipe 12 is the X direction (or width direction, left-right direction), and the long side direction is the Y direction (or height direction, up and down). Direction). The direction toward the center of the transport pipe 12 in each of the X direction and the Y direction is referred to as an inner side, and the direction from the center toward the inner wall is referred to as an outer side.

The expansion portion 33 is divided into upper and lower parts by a separation wall 34 erected inward of the transport pipe 12. The separation wall 34 is formed by attaching a T-shaped member to the inner wall of the expansion portion 33.

On the side wall portion 32, a plurality of ribs 35 protruding inward of the transport pipe are formed so as to extend along the transport direction. In this example, ribs 35 projecting inward of the transport pipe are formed at the boundary between the side wall portion 32 and the expansion portion 33 along the transport direction. The separation wall 34 has the same height as the rib 35, and the top of the separation wall 34 acts as a rib.

The side wall portion 32 is a pair of inner walls facing the paper surface of the bill 6 to be transported. The bill 6 has a rectangular shape, and is transported in the transport pipe 12 in a direction in which the long side is the transport direction F. In other words, the paper is transported in a direction in which the paper surface faces the side wall portion 32 of the transport pipe 12 and one short side of the bill 6 is the front end side in the transport direction and the other short side is the rear end side.

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

FIG. 7 shows the plane and the front surface of the transport assist body 16. The transport auxiliary body 16 has a columnar shape having a circular cross section (the cross section perpendicular to the axis is circular) having different diameters at each portion. The transport auxiliary body 16 is used by being inserted into the transport pipe 12 so that the central axis of the cylinder is in the Y direction (height direction) of the transport pipe 12. The transport auxiliary body 16 has a vertically symmetrical shape, and has the same diameter as the head portion 16a, the neck portion 16b having a diameter slightly smaller than the head portion, the large diameter portion 16c having a diameter larger than that of the head portion 16a, and the neck portion 16b in this order from the top. It is configured to have a constricted portion 16d, a large diameter portion 16c, a neck portion 16b, and a head portion 16a located at the center of the upper and lower parts. The transport auxiliary body 16 is lightweight and durable, and the inside is formed in a cavity by, for example, plastic. If it is lightweight and durable, it may be formed of expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, or the like.

FIG. 8 shows a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction F and passing through the central axis of the transport auxiliary body 16 in a state where the transport auxiliary body 16 is inserted into the transport pipe 12. The diameter of each part of the transport auxiliary body 16 corresponds to the shape of the inner edge of the transport pipe 12. That is, the cross-sectional shape passing through the central axis of the transport auxiliary body 16 has a shape corresponding to the inner edge shape of the transport pipe 12 in the cross section perpendicular to the extension direction F, and the inside of the transport pipe 12 is between the inner wall and the inner wall. It has a shape that almost closes with a predetermined clearance.

In this way, the transport auxiliary body 16 has a shape corresponding to the inner edge shape of the transport pipe 12 (almost the same shape with a slight clearance) and closes almost the entire cross section of the transport pipe 12, so that the action of air flow can be exerted. You can receive and move efficiently. Further, the transport assisting body 16 plays a role of preventing the air flow from the upstream side from reaching the downstream side of the transport assisting body 16 and suppressing the turbulence of the air flow on the downstream side.

The bill 6 tends to stick to the side wall portion 32 when acted on by the air flow in the transport pipe 12. That is, the distance between one paper surface of the bill 6 and the side wall portion 32 facing the same, and the distance between the other paper surface and the side wall portion 32 facing the same are rarely equal, and one of the gaps is set. When it is narrower than the other, the flow velocity of the air flow is faster on the narrow interval side than on the wide interval side, so that the air pressure on the narrow interval side is lower than the air pressure on the wide interval side. It is attracted and pressed to 32. In that case, the interval on the narrow interval side becomes even narrower, and a phenomenon occurs in which the bill 6 sticks to the side wall portion 32 and is adsorbed.

If the bill 6 strongly sticks to the side wall portion 32, it becomes difficult for the transport auxiliary body 16 to push and move the bill 6 to transport the bill 6, but the transport auxiliary body 16 blocks the flow of air to the downstream side as described above (as described above). Since the action of (reducing) is achieved, the force with which the bill 6 sticks and is attracted is reduced, and smooth transportation is realized.

The two large-diameter portions 16c of the transport auxiliary body 16 engage with each of the two expansion portions 33 separated by the separation wall 34 of the transport pipe 12. In this example, the expansion portion 33 is divided into two by the separation wall 34, and these expansion portions 33 are provided near the center of the transport pipe 12 in the Y direction, so that the transport assist body 16 is maintained in a stable posture. Can be moved. Further, since the posture of the transport assisting body 16 is stable, the large diameter portion 16c of the transport assisting body 16 can appropriately contact the rear end of the bill 6 to provide a stable transporting force. Further, the bill 6 is less likely to be caught between the transport pipe 12 and the transport auxiliary body 16.

Further, by providing the transport auxiliary body 16 with the large diameter portion 16c, the area of the portion affected by the air flow is expanded, and the force for moving can be efficiently received. Further, since the large diameter portion 16c is provided to efficiently receive the action of the air flow, the diameter of the head portion 16a can be reduced accordingly. By reducing the diameter of the head, the distance (width (Dx)) between the pair of side wall portions 32 facing each other in the transport pipe 12 can be narrowed, and the bill 6 can be prevented from falling.

Further, the presence of the plurality of ribs 35 provided on the side wall portion 32 prevents the bill 6 from sticking to the side wall portion 32 exactly. That is, the contact area between the bill 6 and the side wall portion 32 is reduced, friction is reduced, and the generation of static electricity can be suppressed. Further, even when the bill 6 is attached to the side wall portion 32, the bill 6 is supported by the tip portion of the rib 35, so that a gap is secured between the side wall portion 32 and the bill 6 around the rib 35. Sticking force is kept small. Further, since the bill 6 is supported by the separation wall 34, the bill 6 is prevented from falling into the recess of the expansion portion 33.

Further, the plurality of ribs 35 protruding inward from the side wall portion 32 and the tops of the separation walls 34 have a substantial passage width W of the banknote 6 in the width direction (X direction) of the transport pipe 12, and the distance Dx between the reference plane portions. It serves to make it narrower. As a result, the bill 6 is less likely to fall sideways in the transport pipe 12, and the posture of the bill 6 is held along the Y direction. In particular, by providing a plurality of ribs 35, the bill 6 is appropriately prevented from falling down, and the bill 6 is effectively prevented from sticking to the side wall portion 32. It should be noted that the Dx can be increased by the amount of the rib 35 provided, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area of the transport pipe 12 and making the transport auxiliary body 16 more susceptible to the action of the air flow.

In the case of the transport auxiliary body 16 according to the present embodiment, since the diameter of the large diameter portion 16c is the largest, as shown in FIG. 4, the large diameter portion 16c abuts on the rear end of the bill 6 and pushes it. Become.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the turn portion 12b, and FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the turn portion 12b. The turn portion 12b connects the transport pipe 12 with an arc portion 13b extending so as to draw a 90-degree arc with the Y direction as the radial direction, a straight portion 13c, and a 90-degree arc-shaped arc portion 13b. It has a right-angled shape and changes the course of the transport auxiliary body 16 by 180 degrees. The rib 35 and the expansion portion 33 are also formed in the turn portion 12b, but the separation wall 34 is not provided and the separation wall 34 is not provided so that the transport auxiliary body 16 does not get caught when moving in an arc shape along the arc portion 13b. The rib 35 and the expansion portion 33 are allowed to escape (the clearance is larger than that of the straight portion) at the portion where the transport assist body 16 overlaps the locus when passing through the turn portion 12b. As a result, the radius of gyration of the turn portion 12b at the arc portion 13b can be reduced. The length of the straight portion 13c may be appropriately determined according to the distance required between the outward path 12a and the return path 12c depending on the size of the transport auxiliary body separating device 22 and the bill taking-in device 24. .. The expansion portion 33 of the turn portion 12b is provided with two ribs 13a corresponding to the large diameter portion 16c of the transport assist body 16, and the position of the transport assist body 16 is restricted toward the center in the X direction.

Next, the connection and fixing of the transport pipe 12 will be described.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of the section of the transport pipe 12, FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing the transport pipe 12 of the section corresponding to FIG. 11 in an exploded manner, and FIG. 13 corresponds to FIG. It is a front view which shows the transport pipe 12 of a section, and FIG. 14 is a plan view which shows the transport pipe 12 of a section corresponding to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 12, the straight pipe portion 40 in the outward path 12a of the transport pipe 12 is composed of a linear transport pipe 41 having a predetermined length and an upstream connection adapter 42 to which the downstream end of the linear transport pipe 41 is connected. To. The curved pipe portion 45 is an arc-shaped portion curved with a predetermined curvature and short linear transport pipe connection ports formed at both ends thereof (upstream transport pipe connection port 45a and downstream transport pipe connection port 45c, which will be described later). Consists of. A linear transport pipe 41 is connected to one transport pipe connection port (downstream side transport pipe connection port 45c) of the curved pipe portion 45, and an upstream connection is made to the other transport pipe connection port (upstream side transport pipe connection port 45a). The adapter 42 is connected.

The straight pipe portion 46 on the return path 12c is a passage portion 51 (see FIG. 16) of the bill taking device 24, an upstream connection adapter 42 connected to one end (upstream side) of the passage portion 51, and an upstream connection adapter 42. A linear transport pipe 41 connected to the upstream side, a linear transport pipe 41 connected to the other end (downstream side) of the passage portion 51, and an upstream connection adapter 42 connected to the downstream of the linear transport pipe 41. It is composed of and. Curved pipe portions 45 are connected to the upstream side and the downstream side of the straight pipe portion 46, respectively.

The straight pipe portions 40 and 46 of the transport pipe 12 are supported by a rigid metal linear frame member 60. The frame member 60 has a length slightly shorter than the total width of the juxtaposed gaming machines 4 and the gaming medium lending machine 3. The frame member 60 is not in the portion corresponding to the curved pipe portion 45, and is interrupted at this portion.

One end of the frame member 60 is supported by the other end of the first mounting bracket 70 whose one end is fixed to the structure of the game machine 4 or the game machine island 2. The other end of the frame member 60 is supported by the other end of the second mounting bracket 80 whose one end is fixed to the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3.

The frame member 60 has an elongated flat plate shape having grooves on both sides in the width direction, and is engaged with the frame member 60 on the upper surface of the frame member 60 and freely slides along the longitudinal direction of the frame member 60. A movable pedestal portion 62 is attached. The pedestal portion 62 is attached to the frame member 60 so that the lower claw is hooked on the back surface side of the frame member 60. Due to this catching, the pedestal portion 62 does not easily come off from the frame member 60.

The lower part of the bill taking-in device 24 is fitted on the upper surface of the pedestal portion 62. The pedestal portion 62 supports the bill taking device 24 from below. The bill taking-in device 24 is attached so that the bill taking-in port 54 of the bill 6 faces the discharge port of the bill 6 provided on the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3 (see FIG. 15).

The second mounting bracket 80 is attached to and fixed to a fixed arm 81 whose one end is fixed to the game medium lending machine 3 and extends in a direction in which the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3 faces, and to the other end side of the fixed arm 81. The mounting angle with respect to the arm 81 is perpendicular to the paper surface of the bill 6 from the discharge port on the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3 toward the loading port 54 of the bill loading device 24, and includes the direction from the discharging port toward the loading port 54. It has a support portion 82 that can be adjusted within a predetermined angle range. As shown in FIG. 15, the fixing arm 81 of the second mounting bracket 80 connects the discharge port of the bill 6 provided on the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3 and the intake port 54 of the bill take-in device 24. ..

As shown in FIG. 15, between the discharge port provided on the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3 and the collection port 54 of the bill collection device 24, the bill 6 delivered from the discharge port is inserted into the bill collection device 24. It is connected by a bill guide passage 110 that guides the user to the intake port 54. The bill guide passage 110 is configured by connecting a plurality of short rectangular tubular passage members 111. By adjusting the number of passage members 111 to be connected, the length of the bill guide passage 110 is adjusted to the distance from the discharge port on the back of the game medium lending machine 3 to the intake port 54 of the bill take-in device 24. Further, since the passage members 111 are connected by a hinge, the passage members 111 can be bent within a predetermined angle range at the connecting portion.

A hook member 64 is attached in the vicinity of the end portion of the frame member 60 on the side supported by the first attachment bracket 70 (see FIG. 12). The hook member 64 is hooked on the frame member 60 and hung. The hook member 64 includes a hanging arm portion 64a whose lower end is bent upward in a U shape after extending downward. The outward path 12a of the transport pipe 12 is held so as to be held by the hanging arm portion 64a of the hook member 64. That is, the outward path 12a of the transport pipe 12 is held so as to be suspended from the frame member 60 via the hook member 64.

A curved pipe portion holding bracket 90 is attached to an end portion of the frame member 60 on the side supported by the second mounting bracket 80. The curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 is attached to the base plate 91 (see FIG. 25), one end of which is inserted into the end of the frame member 60 and fixed to the frame member 60, and the other end side of the base plate 91, and is attached downward. It is composed of an extended outward curved pipe suspension member 92 and a return curved pipe holding member 93 attached to the other end side of the base plate 91 and extending upward.

The outward curved pipe suspension member 92 holds the curved pipe portion 45 on the outward route 12a side so as to be held in the same manner as the hook member 64. The return path curved pipe holding member 93 holds the curved pipe portion 45 on the return path 12c side. Details of the curved tube portion holding metal fitting 90 will be described later.

In the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12, the frame member 60 is fixed to the game machine island 2 by the first mounting bracket 70 and the second mounting bracket 80, and the bill taking device 24 is attached to the frame member 60 via the pedestal portion 62. Then, the transport pipes before and after the bill taking-in device 24 are attached and supported. Further, the curved pipe portion 45 of the return path 12c is held by the return path curved pipe holding member 93 of the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 attached to the end of the frame member 60.

The outward path 12a of the transport pipe 12 is supported so as to be suspended from the frame member 60 via the hook member 64 and the outward path curved pipe suspending member 92 of the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90.

Next, the structure of the bill taking-in device 24 will be briefly described.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the bill taking-in device 24. The bill taking-in device 24 has a tubular passage portion 51 that is a part of the transport path 12, and a rectangular box-shaped main body frame portion 52 provided along the passage portion 51.

At one end of the passage portion 51, the upstream transport pipe 12 is an upstream transport pipe connecting portion 51a to which the upstream transport pipe 12 is connected via the upstream connection adapter 42, and the other end is the downstream transport pipe 12 (FIG. In No. 12, it is a downstream side transport pipe connecting portion 51b to which the linear transport pipe 41) is connected. The arrow F in the figure indicates the transport direction (air flow direction) of the bill 6 in the transport pipe 12.

Between the upstream side transport pipe connecting portion 51a and the downstream side transport pipe connecting portion 51b, there is a bill passage 51c having an inner edge shape corresponding to the inner edge shape of the transport pipe 12. An opening 53 for taking the bill 6 into the bill passage 51c is provided on the wall surface of the bill passage 51c on the main body frame 52 side.

At one end of the front surface of the main body frame portion 52 of the bill taking-in device 24, a take-in port 54 for receiving the bills 6 drawn out from the discharge port provided on the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3 is opened. The game medium lending machine 3 discharges the horizontally long and upright posture of the banknote 6 in the direction of the long side with one short side at the beginning. The intake port 54 is a narrow rectangular opening slightly longer than the short side of the bill 6, and receives the bill 6 from the short side. Between the intake port 54 and the opening 53 of the passage 51, a waiting portion 55 is formed as a passage for waiting the bill 6 to be sent from the opening 53 into the bill passage 51c. The standby portion 55 is an S-shaped curved narrow passage (curved passage) (narrow in the thickness direction of the bill 6) so that one bill 6 can be made to stand by in the curved passage. It has become.

Various transport rollers 56 provided in the standby portion 55 send the bills 6 taken in from the take-in port 54 from the opening 53 into the bill passage 51c through the standby portion 55. The take-in port 54 of the bill take-in device 24 is opened so as to face the same direction as the front of the bill take-in device 24 faces.

Next, the holding of the curved pipe portion 45 of the return path 12c by the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 will be described.

First, the shape of the curved pipe portion 45 held by the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 will be described. FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the curved pipe portion 45. The curved pipe portion 45 includes an arc-shaped curved portion 45b that is curved in an arc shape with a predetermined curvature, an upstream side transport pipe connecting port 45a provided on the upstream side of the arc-shaped curved portion 45b, and a downstream of the arc-shaped curved portion 45b. It is configured to include a downstream side transport pipe connection port 45c provided on the side. The upstream side transport pipe connection port 45a and the downstream side transport pipe connection port 45c are linear pipelines, respectively.

The upstream side transport pipe connection port 45a is adjacent to the arc-shaped curved portion 45b and has an outer shape slightly larger than that of the arc-shaped curved portion 45b, and is adjacent to the upstream side of the edge portion k1 and is adjacent to the arc-shaped curved portion. A straight pipe portion k2 having the same outer shape as 45b, an expansion pipe portion k4 located at the upstream end of the curved pipe portion 45 and having an outer shape extended outward from the straight pipe portion k2, and an expansion pipe portion k4 extending from the upstream end of the straight pipe portion k2. It is composed of a straight pipe portion k2 and an inclined expansion pipe portion k3 that connects between the straight pipe portion k2 and the expansion pipe portion k4 with a wall surface that is between the downstream ends of the pipe portion k4 and is inclined so that the outer shape gradually increases toward the expansion pipe portion k4. .. The inclined expansion pipe portion k3 and the expansion pipe portion k4 form an expansion portion that expands outward as compared with the straight pipe portion k2.

In the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12, the upstream connection adapter 42 is connected to the upstream transport pipe connection port 45a, and the linear transport pipe 41 is connected to the downstream transport pipe connection port 45c (see FIG. 12).

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 viewed from an oblique upstream side, FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 viewed from an oblique downstream side, and FIG. 20 is a front view of the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90. 21 is a left side view of the curved pipe holding metal fitting 90, FIG. 22 is a rear view of the curved pipe holding metal fitting 90, FIG. 23 is a plan view of the curved pipe holding metal fitting 90, and FIG. 24 is a curved pipe holding metal fitting 90. 25 is a view showing how to attach the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 to the frame member 60, and FIG. 26 is a view showing how to attach the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 to the frame member 60. It is a perspective view which shows the state which was done.

As shown in FIG. 25, the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 is attached to a base plate 91 whose one end is inserted into the end of the frame member 60 and fixed to the frame member 60, and to the other end side of the base plate 91. It is composed of an outward curved pipe suspension member 92 extending downward and a return curved pipe holding member 93 attached to the other end side of the base plate 91 and extending upward.

The frame member 60 includes an elongated plate-shaped flat portion 66, a U-shaped groove portion 67 having an upward U-shaped cross section extending along the longitudinal direction of the flat portion 66 at both ends in the width direction of the flat portion 66, and groove portions on both edges. It has a pair of projecting pieces 68 that project from 67 toward the center of the flat portion 66 in the width direction and extend along the longitudinal direction of the frame member 60.

The base plate 91 has a width substantially equal to the distance between the groove portion 67 on one edge of the frame member 60 and the groove portion 67 on the other edge, and the gap 68a between the back surface of the flat portion 66 and the pair of protrusions 68. It is an elongated high-rigidity flat plate having a thickness corresponding to the above, and is provided with a slightly widened locking portion 91a at the central portion in the longitudinal direction.

By pushing one end side of the base plate 91 into the gap 68a at the end of the frame member 60 until the locking portion 91a enters the gap 68a, the base plate 91 is firmly held by the frame member 60.

A pair of opposing support plates 91b are erected along the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91 at the center of the upper surface on the other end side of the base plate 91. The outward curved pipe suspension member 92 and the return curved pipe holding member 93 are attached to the support plate 91b, respectively. The attachment positions of the outward curved pipe suspension member 92 and the return curved pipe holding member 93 can be adjusted by sliding the attachment positions with respect to the support plate 91b in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91.

The outward curved pipe suspending member 92 extends downward along one side wall of the curved pipe portion 45 suspended below the base plate 91, and then has an upward U-shape so as to hold the lower portion of the curved pipe portion 45 at the lower end. It is configured to have a hanging arm portion 92a bent in a shape and a holding piece 92b that sandwiches the upper portion of the other side wall of the curved pipe portion 45 between the hanging arm portion 92a.

At the upper end of the hanging arm portion 92a, a mounting plate 92c for attaching the hanging arm portion 92a to one of the support plates 91b is provided. The mounting plate 92c is provided with an elongated hole 92d that is long in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91. The hanging arm portion 92a is attached to one of the support plates 91b with a screw passed through the elongated hole 92d, and the attachment position can be adjusted by sliding the attachment position in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91 within the range of the elongated hole 92d. ..

At the upper end of the holding piece 92b, a mounting plate 92e for attaching the holding piece 92b to the other support plate 91b is provided. The mounting plate 92e is provided with an elongated hole 92f that is long in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91. The holding piece 92b is attached to the other support plate 91b with a screw passed through the elongated hole 92f, and the attachment position can be adjusted by sliding the attachment position in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91 within the range of the elongated hole 92f.

The return path curved pipe holding member 93 is slidably attached to one support plate 91b of the base plate 91, extends upward along one side wall of the curved pipe portion 45 of the return path 12c to be held, and then has an upper end. The upper holding arm 93a bent downward in a U shape so as to hold the upper part of the curved pipe portion 45, and the upper holding arm 93a at the lower part of the other side wall of the curved pipe portion 45 of the return path 12c to be held. It is provided with an upper holding piece 93b to be sandwiched between them.

At the lower end of the upper holding arm 93a, a mounting plate 93c for attaching the upper holding arm 93a to one of the support plates 91b is provided. The mounting plate 93c is provided with an elongated hole 93d that is long in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91. The upper holding arm 93a is attached to one of the support plates 91b with a screw passed through the elongated hole 93d, and the attachment position can be adjusted by sliding the attachment position in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91 within the range of the elongated hole 93d.

At the lower end of the upper holding piece 93b, a mounting plate 93e for attaching the upper holding piece 93b to the other support plate 91b is provided. The mounting plate 93e is provided with an elongated hole 93f that is long in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91. The upper holding piece 93b is attached to the other support plate 91b with a screw passed through the elongated hole 93f, and the attachment position can be adjusted by sliding the attachment position in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91 within the range of the elongated hole 93f.

In the middle of the arm extending above the upper holding arm 93a, a contact portion 93g formed by bending both ends in the width direction of the arm inward is provided.

As shown in FIG. 26, the return path curved pipe holding member 93 of the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 is a straight pipe portion at a position closest to the inclined expansion pipe portion k3 of the upstream side transport pipe connecting port 45a among the curved pipe portions 45. Hold k2. As a result, the contact portion 93g of the upper holding arm 93a of the return path curved pipe holding member 93 comes into contact with the inclined expansion pipe portion k3 of the upstream side transport pipe connecting port 45a of the curved pipe portion 45 from the downstream side.

When the contact portion 93g comes into contact with the inclined expansion pipe portion k3, the curved pipe portion 45 is prevented from coming off from the upstream connection adapter 42. In the paper leaf transport device 10, a force that causes the transport auxiliary body 16 that moves from the upstream to the downstream collides with the curved portion of the curved pipe portion 45 and moves the curved pipe portion 45 downstream acts. Even if this force acts to move the curved pipe portion 45 downstream, the abutting portion 93g of the return path curved pipe holding member 93 abuts so as to bite into the inclined expansion pipe portion k3 of the upstream side transport pipe connecting port 45a. Since the return path curved pipe holding member 93 is firmly fixed to the frame member 60 via the base plate 91, the curved pipe portion 45 does not move downstream. As a result, the curved pipe portion 45 is prevented from coming off from the upstream connection adapter 42.

Further, since the return path curved pipe holding member 93 holds the portion of the straight pipe portion k2 which is the straight portion of the curved pipe portion 45, the curved pipe portion 45 is held without being affected by the curvature of the arcuate curved pipe portion 45b. be able to. That is, in the configuration for holding the arc-shaped curved portion 45b, the return path curved pipe holding member 93 having various curvatures is provided in order to correspond to a plurality of types of curved pipe portions 45 having different curvatures of the arc-shaped curved portion 45b. It will be necessary to prepare. Since the return path curved pipe holding member 93 of the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 holds the curved pipe portion 45 at the portion of the straight pipe portion k2 which is a straight portion, such a problem does not occur, and all the curved pipe portions 45 have. Can be used in common.

The presence of the edge portion k1 makes it possible to easily position the portion of the return path curved pipe holding member 93 that holds the curved pipe portion 45.

Further, the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 that holds the curved pipe portion 45 is a frame that serves as an installation reference for the transport pipe 12 (particularly, is fixed to the game medium lending machine 3 that serves as a reference for the installation position of the bill taking device 24). Since it is attached to the member 60, the curved pipe portion 45 is securely fixed in accordance with the installation standard of the transport pipe 12 without being affected by the island environment (installation status of equipment and wiring on the game machine island 2). be able to.

Next, the holding of the turn portion 12b will be described.

The turn portion 12b is also a kind of curved portion. The turn portion holding member that holds the turn portion 12b is attached to the game machine island 2 or the frame member 60, and has a contact portion that abuts from the outside on the U-shaped bottom portion of the turn portion 12b.

The turn portion holding member 120 shown in FIG. 27 corresponds to a case where the turn portion 12b is arranged immediately next to the bill taking-in device 24. The turn portion holding member 120 has a horizontally U-shaped shape, and its vertical side is provided with a fixed arm 121 attached to the back surface of the game medium lending machine 3 and a frame member 60 provided at the tip of the lower side of the fixed arm 121. Outside (outward path) to the bottom of the U-shape of the U-shaped turn portion 12b provided at the frame holding portion 122 to be held and the tip of the arm extending in the downstream direction in the outward path 12a from the lower side in the vicinity of the tip portion. It is provided with a contact portion 123 that abuts from the downstream side in 12a).

The contact portion 123 contacts the turn portion 12b with a surface (contact surface) having a predetermined width. The contact surface of the contact portion 123 is set so that the traveling direction of the paper sheets reaching the turn portion 12b from the outward path 12a becomes the normal of the corresponding contact surface.

The turn portion holding member 130 shown in FIG. 28 corresponds to a case where the turn portion 12b is located at a position somewhat distant from the bill taking device 24 closest to the turn portion 12b (see FIG. 29). The turn portion holding member 130 is attached along the frame member 60 fixed to the game machine island 2 by a mounting bracket 70 or the like, and is an extension arm extending further downstream from the downstream end of the frame member 60 in the outward path 12a direction. The 131 and the contact portion 132 provided at the downstream end of the extension arm 131 and abutting the bottom of the U-shape of the U-shaped turn portion 12b from the outside are provided.

The contact portion 132 contacts the turn portion 12b with a surface (contact surface) having a predetermined width. The contact surface of the contact portion 132 is set so that the traveling direction of the paper sheets arriving at the turn portion 12b from the outward path 12a side becomes the normal of the corresponding contact surface.

FIG. 29 shows a state in which the turn portion 12b is held by the turn portion holding member 130. When the bill 6 or the transport assisting body 16 that has entered the turn portion 12b from the outward route 12a advances along the U-shaped curved turn portion 12b and changes its direction, it hits the inner wall of the turn portion 12b. , A force that moves the turn portion 12b to the downstream side acts. The contact portions 123 and 132 of the turn portion holding members 120 and 130 abut on the turn portion 12b from the direction opposite to the direction in which this force acts, thereby preventing the turn portion 12b from moving (falling off) against the force. To do.

In the game machine island provided so as to surround the pillars of the game hall, for example, when the transport path (transport pipe 12) of the paper leaf transport device 10 is installed in the shape shown in FIGS. 30 and 31. There is also. In such a transport path, a curved pipe 160 curved at approximately 90 degrees is provided at a portion having an angle curved at approximately 90 degrees. In the curved pipe 160 at the corner, the bill 6 or the transport assisting body 16 that has entered from the upstream collides with the inner wall of the curved pipe 160 when the direction is changed along the curved pipe 160. As a result, a force acting in the direction of falling out from the transport pipe on the upstream side to the curved pipe 160 at the corner. Therefore, in order to prevent the curved pipe 160 from falling off due to this force, the corner curved pipe holding members 140 and 150 for holding the corner curved pipe 160 are provided.

FIG. 32 shows an example of the corner curved pipe holding member 140. One end of the corner curved pipe holding member 140 is attached to the game machine island, and the corner curved pipe holding member 140 abuts on the curved portion from the outside in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the bill 6 entering the corner curved pipe 160 and the transport assist body 16. It is provided with a contact portion 142.

The square curved tube holding member 140 shown in FIG. 32 is attached to the L-shaped fixing base portion 141 and the upper surface of the longer arm of the fixing base portion 141 so as to be slidable along the longitudinal direction of the arm. It is configured to include a contact portion 142. The shorter arm of the fixing base portion 141 is fixed to the wall surface of the end portion of the game machine island with screws or the like so that the longer arm extends horizontally toward the other end of the game machine island.

The contact portion 142 includes a contact surface 142a that comes into contact with the side wall surface (particularly the expansion portion 33) of the transport pipe 12. When the contact portion 142 is attached to the fixed base portion 141, the attachment angle of the contact portion 142 can be selected from four directions in units of 90 degrees. For example, in FIG. 32, in the upper corner curved tube holding member 140, the contact surface 142a is oriented so as to be oriented along the longitudinal direction of the longer arm of the fixed base portion 141, and the lower corner portion. The curved tube holding member 140 is oriented so that the contact surface 142a faces the wall surface at the end of the game machine island. As a result, by making the orientation of the contact surface 142a switchable, the common corner curved pipe holding member 140 can correspond to the curved pipe 160 at the left and right corners.

FIG. 33 shows a state in which the corner curved pipe holding member 140 holds the corner curved pipe 160. The contact surface 142a of the corner curved pipe holding member 140 hits the peripheral surface of the curved pipe 160 from the outside in the direction opposite to the traveling direction in which the bill 6 or the transport auxiliary body 16 enters the corner curved pipe 160 from the upstream. It is attached so that it touches. By abutting the curved pipe 160 on the contact surface 142a, the curved pipe 160 is firmly held and the curved pipe 160 is prevented from coming off or moving.

FIG. 34 shows an example of another corner curved pipe holding member 150. The corner curved pipe holding member 150 shown in FIG. 34 abuts on the curved pipe 160 having a right angle of approximately 90 degrees from two directions to prevent misalignment.

One end of the corner curved tube holding member 150 is fixed to the wall surface of the end portion of the game machine island with a screw or the like, and a main arm 151 having a predetermined length extending horizontally from the wall surface toward the other end of the game machine island, and a main arm. It has a secondary arm 152 extending from the middle of 151 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main arm 151 and in a horizontal direction. A long hole is formed in each of the main arm 151 and the sub arm 152 along the longitudinal direction. A moving contact portion 153 that can slide along the elongated hole is attached to each or one of the main arm 151 and the secondary arm 152.

The abutting portion 153 has a shape that holds the transport pipe 12 so as to surround it from all sides, and among them, a sheet-shaped elastic body is formed on the abutting surface 153a that abuts on the outer peripheral wall surface of the curved pipe 160 at the corner. 154 is pasted.

FIG. 35 shows a state in which the corner curved pipe holding member 150 holds the corner curved pipe 160. The corner curved tube holding member 150 is attached so that the elastic body 154 attached to the contact surface 153a of the contact portion 153 abuts from the outside on the curved peripheral surface of the curved tube 160 at the corner. The contact surface 153a of the contact portion 153 that abuts on the curved pipe 160 at a position downstream from the center of the curved pipe 160 at the corner is the traveling direction of the bill 6 or the transport auxiliary body 16 that arrives at the curved portion 160 from the upstream. It abuts on the side surface of the curved portion 160 from the outside in the direction opposite to the above, and prevents the curved portion 160 from falling off. Further, by providing the elastic body 154, the curved portion 160 is ensured to come into contact with the curved outer peripheral surface.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to that shown in the embodiment, and there are changes and additions within the range not departing from the gist of the present invention. Is also included in the present invention.

The shape of the curved pipe portion holding metal fitting 90 is not limited to that exemplified in the embodiment. For example, the base plate 91 may be attached to the frame member 60 with screws or the like. Further, the structure that allows the attachment position of the outward curved pipe suspension member 92 and the return curved pipe holding member 93 to be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 91 with respect to the base plate 91 is limited to those exemplified in the embodiment. Not done.

In the embodiment, the structure is such that the curved pipe portion 45 does not move downstream by abutting the contact portion 93 g with the inclined expansion pipe portion k3 whose outer shape gradually increases, but the inclined expansion pipe portion k3 is omitted and a straight line is formed. The expansion pipe portion k4 may be provided adjacent to the upstream side of the pipe portion k2, and the contact portion 93g may come into contact with the expansion pipe portion k4 from the downstream side. Further, the upper holding arm 93a itself may be used as the contacting portion, and the upper holding arm 93a may come into contact with the inclined expansion pipe portion k3 and the expansion pipe portion k4 without particularly providing the abutting portion 93g bent inward.

In the embodiment, the air transport type paper leaf transport device 10 that pushes the paper leaves such as banknotes 6 from behind by the transport auxiliary body 16 is shown, but only the air flow is shown without using the transport auxiliary body 16. The present invention is also applied to a paper sheet transporting device for transporting paper sheets such as banknotes 6. Furthermore, the present invention is also applicable to a paper leaf transport device that transports paper leaves by other methods such as a belt or a roller without using an air flow.

The shape of the transport assisting body 16 shown in the embodiment is an example, and is not limited thereto. For example, it may be a pillar shape such as a rectangular cross section or a polygon. Further, although the transport auxiliary body 16 has a shape symmetrical with respect to the central portion in the Y direction, the shape may be asymmetrical in the Y direction.

In the embodiment, the banknote 6 has been described as an example of paper leaves, but other types of paper leaves such as tickets and cards may be used. Further, in the embodiment, the case where the game machine island 2 is installed inside a substantially circular game machine island 2 is illustrated, but the game medium lending machine 3 and the game machine 4 are arranged in an arbitrary curved shape such as an elliptical shape or a wavy curve. The present invention is applied to the game machine island to be played.

In the embodiment, an example of transporting only one sheet of paper leaves is shown in FIG. 4, but when the transport auxiliary body 16 is inserted in a state where a plurality of banknotes 6 are present in the middle of the transport tube 12. , It is also possible to transport the plurality of banknotes 6 at one time. For example, if the transfer assist body 16 is sent from the transfer assist body insertion device 21 in a state where the banknotes 6 are stopped at the transfer completion positions of the bill take-in devices 24 in the middle of the return path 12c of the transfer pipe 12, the transfer assist body 16 is assisted. The number of banknotes 6 pushed by the body 16 increases in order on the way through the return path 12c, and all the banknotes 6 can be conveyed. Such a large transfer force is due to the fact that the transfer auxiliary body 16 has a shape that substantially closes the cross section of the transfer pipe 12, thereby reducing the sticking and suction of the bill 6, and the presence of the expansion portion 33. It is secured by the large area affected by. Further, since the transport auxiliary body 16 has a columnar shape that does not deform, it is possible to collectively transport a large number of sheets, which cannot be realized by wings or the like.

In the embodiment, the cross section of the transport pipe 12 is substantially rectangular, but other shapes such as a circular shape and an elliptical shape may be used. However, a plurality of ribs may be provided on the inner wall to prevent the paper leaves from sticking and to guide the position and posture of the transport assisting body. Further, it is preferable that the transport auxiliary body has a shape corresponding to the inner edge shape thereof and closes almost the entire cross section.

Further, the game machine island is not limited to the configuration of accommodating the slot machine and the game medium lending machine for renting medals illustrated in the embodiment, but also for the game machine island for accommodating the game medium lending machine for renting the game ball and the pachinko machine. It doesn't matter.

2 ... Game machine island 3 ... Game medium lending machine 4 ... Game machine 5 ... Safe 6 ... Bill 10 ... Paper leaf transport device 12 ... Transport pipe 12a ... Outward route 12b ... Turn part 12c ... Return route 13a ... Turn part rib 13b ... Arc part of the turn part 13c ... Straight part of the turn part 14 ... Air flow generator 14a ... Air blowing passage 14b ... Air suction passage 16 ... Transport auxiliary body 16a ... Head 16b ... Neck part 16c ... Large diameter part 16d ... Constricted part 20 ... Bill separation / transport auxiliary body circulation device 21 ... Transport auxiliary body insertion device 22 ... Separation / collection device 24 ... Bill capture device 31 ... Wall 32 ... Side wall 33 ... Expansion 34 ... Separation wall 35 ... Rib 40 ... Straight pipe Part 41 ... Straight pipe 42 ... Upstream connection adapter 45 ... Curved pipe 45a ... Upstream transport pipe connection k1 ... Edge k2 ... Straight pipe k3 ... Inclined expansion pipe k4 ... Expansion pipe 45b ... Arc-shaped curved Part 45c ... Downstream side transport pipe connection port 46 ... Straight pipe part 51 ... Passage part 51a ... Upstream side transport pipe connection part 51b ... Downstream side transport pipe connection part 51c ... Bill passage 52 ... Main body frame part 53 ... Opening 54 ... Intake Mouth 55 ... Standby 56 ... Conveying roller 60 ... Frame member 62 ... Pedestal 64 ... Hook member 64a ... Hanging arm 66 ... Flat part 67 ... Groove 68 ... Projection piece 68a ... Gap 70 ... First mounting bracket 80 ... No. 2 Mounting bracket 81 ... Fixed arm 82 ... Support 90 ... Curved pipe holding bracket 91 ... Base plate 91a ... Locking portion 91b ... Support plate 92 ... Outward curved pipe hanging member 92a ... Hanging arm 92b ... Holding piece 92c ... Mounting plate 92d ... Long hole 92e ... Mounting plate 92f ... Long hole 93 ... Return path curved pipe holding member 93a ... Upper holding arm 93b ... Upper holding piece 93c ... Mounting plate 93d ... Long hole 93e ... Mounting plate 93f ... Long hole 93g ... Contact part 110 ... Bill guide passage 111 ... Passage member 120 ... Turn part holding member 121 ... Fixed arm 122 ... Frame holding part 123 ... Contact part 130 ... Turn part holding member 131 ... Extension arm 132 ... Contact part 140 ... Corner Part Curved pipe holding member 141 ... Fixed base part 142 ... Contact part 142a ... Contact surface 150 ... Corner curved pipe holding member 151 ... Main arm 152 ... Secondary arm 153 ... Contact part 153a ... Contact surface 154 ... Elastic body 160 ... Square curved pipe Dx ... Distance between reference planes of the transport pipe Dy ... Inner dimension of the transport pipe in the Y direction F ... Extension direction of the transport pipe W ... Passage width X ... Passage width direction of the transport pipe Y ... Height direction of the transport pipe

Claims (1)

It extends along the inside of the game machine island where the game machine and the game medium lending machine are arranged, and has a transport path for transporting the paper sheets discharged from the game medium lending machine to a predetermined place.
The transport path is formed by connecting a straight portion forming a section in which the transported object travels straight and a curved portion forming a section in which the transported object bends.
The curved portion is held by a transport path fixture fixed to the gaming machine island, and is held.
The transport path fixture paper sheet conveying apparatus characterized by having a contact portion that contacts the two directions on the outer peripheral side wall surface of the curved portion of the curved corners.

Images