JP7127924B1 - bill carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to prevent banknotes that are bent in a vertical direction (a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the banknotes are conveyed) from being clogged in a duct. A banknote (50) is sandwiched between two banknote creasing rollers (220A, 220B) having unevenness (221) formed on the surface thereof while the banknote (50) is being conveyed. By applying a pressing force to the banknote (50) from rollers (220A, 220B), the banknote (50) is folded in parallel with the direction in which the banknote (50) is conveyed. These creases give the banknote (50) rigidity against an external force parallel to the direction in which the banknote (50) is conveyed, thereby preventing banknote jamming in the duct. [Selection drawing] Fig. 10

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a banknote conveying device that conveys banknotes in a duct by means of airflow generated inside the duct.

An example of such a banknote transport device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2016-160038 (Patent Document 1).
50 to 55 show the banknote conveying apparatus described in the publication. FIG. 50 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the bill conveying apparatus and the surrounding environment in which the bill conveying apparatus is used.
As shown in FIG. 50, this banknote transport apparatus has a carrier 10 that transports banknotes by pushing the banknotes with its front surface, and an internal space that is similar to the outer shape of the carrier 10 and in which the carrier 10 can travel. A duct 11, a banknote storage chamber 14 that stores banknotes conveyed by the carrier 10, a first blower 12a that generates an airflow that causes the carrier 10 to travel in the direction toward the banknote storage chamber 14 in the duct 11, and the duct 11. A second blower 12b that generates an air flow inside the duct 11 to move the carrier 10 in a direction away from the bill storage chamber 14, and stoppers 13a and 13b that stop the carrier 10 at a predetermined position in the duct 11.

As shown in FIG. 50, a plurality of pachinko machines 20 and other amusement machines are arranged in a row in the horizontal direction of FIG. ), and next to the pachinko machine 20, a banknote inserting device 21 for inserting banknotes is installed. Game media (pachinko balls, medals, etc.) are paid out according to the amount of bills inserted into the bill insertion device 21 .
On the back side of the pachinko machine 20, a duct 11, which is one component of the banknote transport device, is installed so as to extend parallel to the direction in which the pachinko machine 20 is arranged.
FIG. 51 is a partial perspective view (including a partially exploded view) of the duct 11. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 51, the duct 11 has a hollow structure extending linearly, and its vertical cross-section is shaped like a vertically elongated rectangle with its vertically central portion protruding inward. That is, the central portion in the vertical direction constitutes a projecting portion 11a projecting inward of the duct 11 in a rectangular shape.

Furthermore, a slit 11b is formed in the side wall of the duct 11 so as to correspond to the position of the bill inserting device 21. As shown in FIG. As will be described later, bills inserted into each bill inserting device 21 are fed into the duct 11 through the slit 11b.
52 is a perspective view of the carrier 10. FIG.
The carrier 10 has a vertically extending central axis 10a, four first wings 10b arranged on one side of the central axis 10a, and four second wings arranged on the other side of the central axis 10a. 10c.
The first wings 10b are arranged so that a pair of the first wings 10b form a V shape with the upper end and the lower end of the central axis 10a as starting points. Similarly, the second wings 10c are arranged so that a set of two second wings 10c form a V shape with the upper and lower ends of the central axis 10a as starting points. As will be described later, bills fed into the duct 11 are transported with their trailing edges pushed by the four first wings 10b.

FIG. 53 is a perspective view showing a state in which the carrier 10 is accommodated inside the duct 11. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 53, the projecting portion 11a of the duct 11 extends into the space 10d formed between the upper and lower first wings 10b and the space 10d (see FIG. 52) formed between the upper and lower second wings 10c. Get stuck.
As shown in FIG. 50, the bill storage chamber 14 is arranged at one end of the duct 11 (the right end in FIG. 50). The banknote storage chamber 14 accommodates banknotes that have been inserted from the banknote insertion device 21 and transported by the carrier 10 .
A first blower 12 a and a second blower 12 b for sending an air flow (wind) into the duct 11 are arranged at both ends of the duct 11 .

Either one of the first blower 12a and the second blower 12b operates, or both do not operate. Both do not work at the same time. When the first blower 12a is activated, the second wing 10c of the carrier 10 accommodated inside the duct 11 receives wind pressure, and the carrier 10 travels in the direction (direction X1) toward the banknote accommodation chamber 14. On the other hand, when the second blower 12b operates, the first wing 10b of the carrier 10 accommodated inside the duct 11 receives wind pressure, and the carrier 10 travels in the direction away from the banknote accommodation chamber 14 (direction X2).
Since the banknote storage chamber 14 is arranged continuously at one end (the right end in FIG. 50) of the duct 11, the second blower 12b is arranged adjacent to the banknote storage chamber 14, and the bypass passage 12c is arranged. It is connected with the duct 11 via.
FIG. 54 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the banknote insertion device 21. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 54 , the banknote insertion device 21 includes a roller unit 21 b and a transport path 21 c extending obliquely with respect to the duct 11 .
Bills inserted from the bill insertion port 21a of the bill insertion device 21 are conveyed by the roller unit 21b, inspected for authenticity and denomination, and inserted into the duct 11 via the conveyance path 21c.
FIG. 55 shows stoppers 13a and 13b that stop the carrier 10 at predetermined positions within the duct 11 (specifically, near both ends of the duct 11).
The stoppers 13 a and 13 b are hook-shaped members extending inside the duct 11 . The first wing 10b of the carrier 10 is caught by the stopper 13a, so that the carrier 10 stops before the bill storage chamber 14.例文帳に追加Further, the second wing 10c of the carrier 10 is caught by the stopper 13b, so that the carrier 10 stops before the first blower 12a.

The banknote conveying device having the structure described above operates as follows.
When a customer of the pachinko machine 20 inserts a banknote into the banknote slot 21a of the banknote input device 21, the banknote is transported by the roller unit 21b and is input into the duct 11 from the slit 11b of the duct 11 via the transport path 21c. be.
The banknote insertion device 21 is provided with a banknote detection sensor (not shown). When a banknote is inserted into the duct 11, the banknote detection sensor sends a banknote insertion signal to the central control unit (not shown). (not included).
The central controller that receives the banknote insertion signal operates the first blower 12a. When the first blower 12a starts operating, an air flow (wind) is generated inside the duct 11 in the direction (direction X1) toward the banknote storage chamber 14 . The carrier 10 travels in the direction (direction X1) toward the banknote storage chamber 14 by the second wing 10c receiving wind pressure from this air flow. The carrier 10 captures bills inserted into the duct 11 with the first wing 10b before reaching the bill storage chamber 14.例文帳に追加The carrier 10 that has captured the banknotes continues to travel in the direction (direction X1) toward the banknote storage chamber 14 while maintaining the state of pushing the captured banknotes, and then is stopped by the stopper 13a. When the carrier 10 stops, the banknotes are separated from the carrier 10 by the action of inertia and are accommodated in the banknote storage chamber 14 .

The banknotes are conveyed by the carrier 10 while maintaining a posture in which the paper surface is parallel to the running direction of the carrier 10 (longitudinal direction of the duct 11) and the short side is parallel to the central axis 10a of the carrier 10. be.
A sensor (not shown) for detecting the carrier 10 is arranged near the stopper 13a. When the carrier 10 is stopped by the stopper 13a, the sensor outputs a carrier stop signal indicating that the carrier 10 is stopped by the stopper 13a. Send to central controller.
Upon receiving the carrier stop signal, the central control unit stops the operation of the first blower 12a and waits a predetermined time after the carrier 10 is stopped by the stopper 13a (the time required for bills to be stored in the bill storage chamber 14). ) has passed, the second blower 12b is operated.

When the second blower 12b starts to operate, an air flow (wind) is generated inside the duct 11 in a direction (direction X2) away from the banknote storage chamber 14 . The carrier 10 travels in the direction (direction X2) away from the banknote storage chamber 14 by the first wing 10b receiving wind pressure from this air flow.
After that, the carrier 10 is caught by the stopper 13b and stopped. In this way the carrier 10 returns to its original position.
The above operation is one cycle operation from when the bill is inserted into the bill inserting device 21 until it is stored in the bill storage chamber 14 .

JP 2016-160038 A

Banknotes to be inserted into the banknote inserting device 21 include banknotes with folds as well as straight planar banknotes (for example, banknotes without folds such as new banknotes). There are two types of banknotes with folds: those with folds extending in the vertical direction (direction parallel to the short side of the banknote) and those with folds extending in the horizontal direction (direction parallel to the long side of the banknote). . Among these, there is a problem that bills folded in the vertical direction tend to clog the inside of the duct 11 when captured by the carrier 10 after being fed into the inside of the duct 11 .
FIG. 56 is a schematic perspective view showing the situation when a longitudinally creased bill 50 is captured by the carrier 10. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 56(A), it is assumed that the bill 50 has three folds 51A to 51C extending in the direction parallel to the short side 50a. The bill 50 is divided into four regions 52A-52D by the three fold lines 51A-51C.
Even after the banknote 50 with the three folds 51A to 51C is inserted into the duct 11, the banknote 50 will still have the three folds 51A to 51C as shown in FIG. 56(A). It is bent along.
The carrier 10 traveling toward the banknotes 50 first contacts the area 52D (area including the short side 50a) of the banknotes 50 and pushes the entire banknotes 50 in the running direction. In this case, since the banknote 50 is folded along the crease 51C, the entire banknote 50 is not pushed by the carrier 10, and the banknote 50 is simply folded around the crease 51C.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 56(B), the force of the carrier 10 pushing the banknote 50 acts as a force that causes the region 52D to bend around the crease 51C. It bends along 51C in the running direction of carrier 10 (leftward in FIG. 56(B)) and overlaps adjacent region 52C. When the region 52D of the banknote 50 overlaps with the region 52C (a state in which the banknote 50 is folded in half), no matter how much the banknote 50 is pushed by the carrier 10, the propulsive force of the carrier 10 is not transmitted to the entire banknote 50. Otherwise, the banknotes 50 cannot move forward (to the left in FIG. 56(B)), and as a result, the banknotes 50 are jammed on the spot.
The present invention has been devised in view of the problem of banknote jams in the conventional banknote conveying apparatus as described above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a banknote transport device that enables

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a duct, a carrier running in the duct, a first blower for generating an air flow in one direction in the duct, and the one direction in the duct. a second blower for generating an airflow in the opposite direction, wherein the airflow generated in the duct by the first blower causes the carrier to run in the duct, and bills inserted into the duct. in the bill conveying apparatus in which the carrier conveys the bills, the creasing device for crimping the bills extending in a direction parallel to the traveling direction of the carrier before the bills are put into the duct , wherein the The creasing device has two rollers whose axes are perpendicular to the running direction of the carrier and parallel to each other, and these two rollers have uneven surfaces formed in a horizontal plane. , the protrusions of one roller are fitted into the recesses of the other roller, and the banknotes are sandwiched between the two rollers so that the creases are given to the banknotes.

For example, at least one of the two rollers has at least one slit extending parallel to the axis.

The creasing device is configured, for example, to include a first roller pair and a second roller pair arranged downstream of the first roller pair in the banknote conveying direction. be. Each of the first roller pair and the second roller pair consists of the two rollers, and one roller of the first roller pair is one of the second roller pair at a position corresponding to the roller rotatable around the rotation axis of the rollers, and rotates between a position in contact with the other roller of the first roller pair and a position away from the other roller of the first roller pair It is possible.
A connecting member is detachably attached to the rotating shaft of one roller of the second roller pair, and one roller of the first roller pair is rotatably attached inside the connecting member. preferably.
It is preferable that the connecting member is attached to the rotating shaft of one roller of the second roller pair via a magnetic clutch.

The creasing device comprises a pair of preparation rollers arranged upstream of the two rollers, and the surface of at least one roller of the pair of preparation rollers is arranged to be constantly wet. is preferred.
It is preferable that the banknote conveying apparatus according to the present invention includes heating means for heating the surfaces of the two rollers.
The creasing device is configured, for example, to include a first wall extending along the banknote transport path and a second wall facing the first wall. Either one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion is movable toward or away from the other, and the surface of the first wall portion and the second wall portion is provided with the bill Concavities and convexities extending in the conveying direction are formed, the convex of one of the first wall and the second wall fits into the concave of the other, and the banknote is placed in the first wall and the second wall The crease is given by being sandwiched between.

The creasing device is configured, for example, as comprising a pair of preparation rollers arranged upstream of the first wall and the second wall. The surface of each roller of the preparation roller pair is configured to be permanently wet.
It is preferable that the banknote conveying apparatus according to the present invention includes heating means for heating surfaces of the first wall portion and the second wall portion.
It is preferable that the creasing device is arranged on the upstream side in the direction in which the banknotes are conveyed from the position where the banknotes are thrown into the duct.
The banknote conveying device has a second duct leading to a banknote storage chamber for storing banknotes, the creasing device is disposed between the duct and the second duct, and the banknotes are transferred from the duct to the banknote storage chamber. It is preferably fed to said second duct via a creasing device.

As shown in FIG. 56(B), when the banknote 50 with creases 51A to 51C in the vertical direction (the direction parallel to the short side 50a of the banknote 50) is fed into the duct 11 as it is, it runs. When pushed from the carrier 10, the fold line 51C is folded so that the area 52D overlaps with the adjacent area 52C, resulting in banknote jamming on the spot.
According to the banknote conveying device of the present invention, even if the banknote 50 has vertical creases 51A to 51C, the folds extending in the horizontal direction (the long side 50b of the banknote 50 (or the carrier A crease parallel to the running direction of the paper) is attached.
By folding the banknote 50 in the horizontal direction, an external force acting on the banknote 50 in the direction parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50 (the direction perpendicular to the short side 50a of the banknote 50) (the impact when the carrier hits the banknote 50) The rigidity of the banknote 50 against the force) is improved (the so-called "firmness" is increased).
Therefore, even if the carrier hits the short side 50a of the banknote 50, the banknote 50 does not bend halfway because the rigidity against the external force in the direction parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50 is increased (FIG. 56). (B)), the banknotes 50 can be reliably transported to the banknote storage chamber 14 .

It is a perspective view when the carrier used in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention is seen from the front side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carrier in FIG. 1 when viewed from the rear side; 1 is a perspective view of a duct used in the banknote conveying device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the mutual positional relationship among carriers, bills, and ducts in the bill conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the mutual positional relationship among carriers, bills, and ducts in the bill conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the banknote creasing device in the banknote conveying device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6B is a front view of the banknote creasing device when viewed from the horizontal direction, FIG. 6(C) is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 6(B).

It is an exploded perspective view of the banknote creasing device shown in FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C). It is an exploded perspective view of the banknote creasing device when the first banknote passage and the second banknote passage of the banknote creasing device shown in FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C) are removed. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of only the first banknote passage and the second banknote passage not shown in FIG. 8; It is a front view of a pair of banknote creasing rollers in the banknote conveying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a perspective view of the pair of banknote creasing rollers shown in FIG. 10; FIG. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one of the pair of banknote creasing rollers; It is a perspective view of the 2nd banknote passage in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention.

14 is a partially exploded view of the second banknote passage shown in FIG. 13; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a banknote delivery roller and a pair of banknote pressing plates in the banknote transport device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention.

It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. FIG. 21(A) is a front view of a banknote creased by a pair of banknote creasing rollers, and FIG. 21(B) is a side view of the banknote. 22(A) and 22(B) are schematic perspective views showing the situation when a banknote creased by a banknote creasing roller is captured by a carrier. It is the schematic of the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. FIG. 24(A) is a cross-sectional view of a banknote creasing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 24(B) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the banknote creasing device, and FIG. 24(C) is FIG. 2 is a side view of the banknote creasing device viewed from direction A of FIG. It is a perspective view of the banknote creasing apparatus shown in FIG. 24(A) - FIG.24(C).

Fig. 24(A) - Fig. 24(C) are partial perspective views of the banknote creasing device shown in Figs. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a first duct and a carrier storage duct branched from the first duct in the banknote conveying device according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of a first duct and a carrier storage duct when viewed from the carrier storage duct side in the banknote transport device according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of the first duct and the carrier storage duct when viewed from the first duct side in the banknote transport device according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of a banknote creasing device in the banknote conveying device according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a second roller of the banknote creasing roller and a connecting member in the banknote transport device according to the second embodiment of the present invention; It is a perspective view when a connecting member is attached to the second roller of the banknote creasing roller in the banknote transport device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 33(A) is a longitudinal sectional view of the second roller of the banknote creasing roller in the banknote transport device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 33(B) is a longitudinal sectional view of the connecting member, and FIG. 33(C) ) is a vertical cross-sectional view when the connecting member is attached to the second roller of the banknote creasing roller. It is a perspective view which shows operation|movement of the connection member in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows operation|movement of the connection member in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention.

It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention.

It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows operation|movement of the banknote creasing apparatus in the banknote conveying apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. FIG. 8 is a front view showing a state in which a banknote is sandwiched between a pair of banknote creasing rollers in the banknote transport device according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state before and after a banknote passes through a pair of banknote creasing rollers; It is a partial plan view of a banknote conveying device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial plan view of the banknote conveying device according to the modification of the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 49(A) is a plan view of a banknote creasing unit in a banknote transport apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 49(B) and 49(C) are side views of the banknote creasing unit. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional banknote transport device and the surrounding environment in which it is used; FIG. FIG. 51 is a partial perspective view (including a partially exploded view) of a duct that is one component of the conventional banknote conveying device shown in FIG. 50; FIG. 51 is a perspective view of a carrier that is one component of the conventional banknote conveying apparatus shown in FIG. 50; 52 is a perspective view showing a state in which the carrier shown in FIG. 52 is accommodated inside the duct shown in FIG. 51; FIG. FIG. 51 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of a banknote insertion device, which is one component of the conventional banknote transport device shown in FIG. 50; FIG. 51 is a cross-sectional view showing a stopper, which is one component of the conventional banknote conveying apparatus shown in FIG. 50; Figures 56(A) and 56(B) are schematic perspective views showing the situation when a longitudinally creased bill is captured by a carrier.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the carrier 110 used in the banknote conveying apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the front side, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carrier 110 when viewed from the rear side. .
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carrier 110 has a "cannonball" shape, and specifically includes a cylindrical body portion 110a and a body portion 110a formed on the back side of the body portion 110a and continuously with the body portion 110a. and a hemispherically shaped rear portion 110b.
The carrier 110 has a hollow structure in order to reduce its weight.
The carrier 110 conveys bills by pushing them against the front surface 110c of the body portion 110a. A plurality of projections 110d having the same shape are formed at regular intervals along the circumference of the front surface 110c of the body portion 110a. A banknote is sandwiched between two protrusions 110d adjacent to each other to hold the banknote. The projection 110d has, for example, a hemispherical shape.

The length in the central axis direction of the main body portion 110a of the carrier 110 is set as short as possible. By shortening the length of the body portion 110a, it is possible to smoothly turn a curved duct.
The carrier 110 moves forward by receiving an air flow (wind) from the first blower 12a at the rear portion 110b.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the duct 120 used in the bill conveying apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the mutual positional relationship of the carrier 110, bills 50 and duct 120. FIG.
The duct 120 is composed of a first region 120a and a second region 120b, as shown in FIG.
The first region 120a has a vertically long rectangular shape, and its height is such that the short side 50a (see FIG. 4) of the bill 50 can pass through.

The second region 120b has a circular longitudinal section and is set to a size (radius) that allows the carrier 110 to pass therethrough.
The first region 120a and the second region 120b partially overlap each other, and the first region 120a passes through the center of the second region 120b and protrudes vertically from the second region 120b by an equal length.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the carrier 110 pushes the short side 50a of the bill 50 with its front face 110c and conveys the bill 50 inside the duct 120. As shown in FIGS. Bills 50 pass through the first region 120a of the duct 120 and the carrier 110 passes through the second region 120b of the duct 120. As shown in FIG.
Thus, only banknotes 50 can pass through the first region 120a, and the carrier 110 cannot pass through the first region 120a (more precisely, the carrier 110 protrudes vertically from the second region 120b). cannot pass through the portion of the first region 120a where it is located).

Compared to the conventional bill conveying apparatus, the bill conveying apparatus 100 according to this embodiment additionally includes a bill crease forming device 200 . The banknote creasing device 200 is a device that creases the banknote 50 in the lateral direction (the direction parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50), as will be described later.
6A is a cross-sectional view of the banknote creasing device 200, FIG. 6B is a front view of the banknote creasing device 200 when viewed from the horizontal direction, and FIG. It is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line AA. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the banknote creasing device 200. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the banknote creasing device 200 is arranged between the banknote insertion device 21 (see FIG. 54) and the duct 120. As shown in FIG.

The banknote creasing device 200 includes a pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 that take in the banknotes 50 transported from the banknote insertion device 21 into the banknote creasing device 200, and folds the banknotes 50 in a direction parallel to the lateral direction of the banknotes 50. a pair of banknote creasing rollers 220, a first banknote passage 230 through which the banknote 50 passes from the banknote take-in roller 210 toward the banknote creasing roller 220, and a banknote from the banknote creasing roller 220 toward the duct 120 a second banknote passage 240 for passing banknotes 50; a banknote delivery roller 250 arranged in front of the exit of the second banknote channel 240 and configured to send banknotes 50 to the duct 120; A pair of bill holding plates 260 to be attached, a pair of bill take-in rollers 210 , a pair of bill creasing rollers 220 and a bill delivery roller 250 are driven by a drive motor 270 .
8 is an exploded perspective view of the banknote creasing device 200 when the first banknote passage 230 and the second banknote passage 240 are removed, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of only the first banknote passage 230 and the second banknote passage 240. .

As shown in FIGS. 6A, 7 and 8, the pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 are arranged in the direction in which the banknotes 50 fed from the banknote insertion device 21 advance. The banknotes 50 coming in are sandwiched, and the banknotes 50 are sent to the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 via the first banknote passage 230 .
As shown in FIG. 9, the first banknote path 230 consists of a pair of walls that stand upright in parallel, and the banknotes fed from the pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 pass through the first banknote path 230 to form a pair of banknotes. It is sent to creasing rollers 220 .
10 is a front view of the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220, FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220, and FIG.

The pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 consists of a first roller 220A and a second roller 220B, and these two rollers 220A and 220B have their axes parallel to each other, specifically, both axes are vertical. are arranged in the same direction.
As shown in FIG. 8, the first roller 220A is a drive side roller driven by the drive motor 270 via the belt 272, and the second roller 220B is a driven side roller driven by the first roller 220A.
Each surface of the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B is formed with a plurality of unevennesses 221 each having a triangular cross section. Each unevenness|corrugation 221 is formed so that it may be located in a horizontal plane, and is paralleled in each axial direction of two rollers 220A and 220B at regular intervals. The first roller 220A and the second roller 220B are arranged adjacent to each other so that the unevennesses 221 of the two rollers 220A and 220B are meshed with each other. The protrusions of the first roller 220A mesh with the recesses of the second roller 220B, and the recesses of the first roller 220A mesh with the protrusions of the second roller 220B.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the surface of the second roller 220B is formed with four slits 222 extending in the vertical direction. Each slit 222 has a triangular cross section. As shown in FIG. 12, the four slits 222 are provided at equal intervals (at a circumferential angle of 90 degrees) in the circumferential direction of the second roller 220B.
As shown in FIG. 10, the bill 50 passes through the two rollers 220A and 220B while being sandwiched between the unevennesses 221 of the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B. As a result, the banknotes 50 are creases extending parallel to the long sides 50b (parallel to the running direction of the carrier 110) (this will be described later).

If the surface of the roller is flat, as in the conventional case, the paper money 50 slips when the paper money 50 is conveyed. On the other hand, a slit 222 is formed in the second roller 220B of the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 . By providing the slits 222, the contact between the second roller 220B and the banknotes 50 becomes a point or a line instead of a plane, so that the second roller 220B and the banknotes 50 are caught, and as a result, the banknotes 50 are stuck. The gripping force during transport is improved, and the bills 50 can be prevented from slipping during transport.
13 is a perspective view of the second banknote passage 240, and FIG. 14 is a partially exploded view of the second banknote passage 240. FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the second banknote passage 240 has a pair of first wall portions 240A that stand parallel to each other and form passages therebetween, and a pair of first wall portions 240A. and a pair of second wall portions 240C extending outward from the entrance 240B perpendicular to the pair of first wall portions 240A.

The banknote that has passed through the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 passes through the passage between the pair of first wall portions 240A from the entrance 240B, and is sent toward the duct 120 as shown in FIG. 6(A).
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the bill feeding roller 250 and the pair of bill holding plates 260. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 15, the banknote feeding roller 250 is composed of two concentric small rollers 250A and 250B that are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, and one of the pair of first wall portions 240A of the second banknote passage 240 The wall (the wall remote from the duct 120) extends into the space between the two small rollers 250A, 250B.
Each of the pair of banknote holding plates 260 is composed of a holding plate 260A and a spring 260B.

The tip of the pressing plate 260A is divided like a comb and is formed in an arc shape in accordance with the outer peripheral shape of the small rollers 250A and 250B of the banknote feeding roller 250. As shown in FIG. The arc shape of the tip allows the tip of the pressing plate 260A to come into close contact with the outer circumferences of the small rollers 250A and 250B.
The pressing plate 260A is rotatably attached to the other wall portion (the wall portion closer to the duct 120) of the pair of first wall portions 240A via a pin 260C.
A spring 260B is sandwiched between the rear end of the pressing plate 260A and the other wall of the pair of first walls 240A. The spring 260B applies elastic force to the pressing plate 260A in a direction to separate the rear end of the pressing plate 260A from the other wall portion of the pair of first wall portions 240A. For this reason, each presser plate 260A rotatable about the pin 260C is always pressed against the surfaces of the small rollers 250A and 250B of the banknote feeding roller 250 at its tip.

As shown in FIGS. 6B and 8, the drive motor 270 drives the banknote delivery roller 250 via the belt 271 and drives the first roller 220A of the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 via the belt 272. do. One of the pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 (roller closer to drive motor 270 ) is driven by drive motor 270 via first roller 220</b>A and belt 273 .
16 to 20 are cross-sectional views showing the operation of the banknote creasing device 200 according to this embodiment. The operation of the banknote creasing device 200 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 16 to 20. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 16 , the banknote 50 sent from the banknote inserting device 21 is sandwiched between a pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 and taken into the banknote creasing device 200 .
Next, as shown in FIG. 17, the banknote 50 is sent inside the first banknote passage 230 to the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 by the pair of banknote take-in rollers 210 .

FIG. 21(A) is a front view of the banknote 50 creased by the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220, and FIG. 21(B) is a side view of the banknote 50. FIG.
While the banknote 50 passes between the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B that constitute the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220, it receives pressing forces in mutually different directions from the unevenness 221 of the two rollers 220A and 220B. . Specifically, the first roller 220A exerts a pressing force on the banknote 50 in the direction from right to left by the protrusions of the unevenness 221, and the second roller 220B is directed from left to right by the protrusions of the unevenness 221. A pressing force is applied to the bill 50 in the direction. In this way, the banknote 50 receives the pressing force from right to left and the pressing force from left to right in a zigzag manner, so that the banknote 50 has a lateral direction as shown in FIGS. Five creases 53A to 53E extending in a direction (a direction parallel to the long side 50b of the bill 50) are formed.

Increasing the interval between the unevennesses 221 of the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B reduces the number of folds, and decreasing the interval between the unevennesses 221 increases the number of folds.
The banknote 50 creased by the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 is fed from the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 to the banknote delivery roller 250 via the second banknote path 240 as shown in FIG. .
As shown in FIG. 19, the banknotes 50 sent to the banknote delivery rollers 250 are sandwiched between the banknote delivery rollers 250 and the pressing plates 260A of the pair of banknote pressing plates 260, and are directed toward the duct 120 in this state. sent.
Next, as shown in FIG. 20, the banknote 50 is sent inside the first area 120a of the duct 120. As shown in FIG. After that, the banknotes 50 are captured by the carrier 110 and transported to the banknote storage chamber 14 .
The operation described above is one cycle operation until the banknote 50 inserted into the banknote inserting device 21 is fed into the duct 120 through the banknote creasing device 200 . After that, this operation is repeated.

FIG. 22 is a schematic perspective view showing the situation when a banknote 50 having creases 53A-53E created by banknote creasing roller 220 is captured by carrier 110. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 22(A), it is assumed that the banknote 50 before being inserted into the banknote insertion device 21 has creases 51A to 51C in the vertical direction (the direction parallel to the short side 50a of the banknote 50). . As shown in FIG. 56(B), when the bill 50 with folds 51A to 51C in the vertical direction is fed into the duct 120 as it is, the fold 51C is folded when pushed by the traveling carrier 110. As shown in FIG. The area 52D as the center is folded to overlap the adjacent area 52C, resulting in bill jams.

On the other hand, according to the banknote transport device 100 according to the present embodiment, even the banknote 50 with folds 51A to 51C in the vertical direction can be folded by passing between the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220. As shown in FIG. 22(A), the banknote 50 has folds 51A-51C in the vertical direction and folds extending in the horizontal direction (folds parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50) 53A-53E.
In this way, by forming the lateral folds 53A to 53E on the banknote 50, in the traveling direction of the carrier 110, that is, in the direction parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50 (the direction perpendicular to the short side 50a of the banknote 50). The rigidity of the bill 50 is improved against the external force acting on the bill 50 (the so-called "firmness" is increased).
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 22B, even if the carrier 110 hits the short side 50a of the bill 50, an external force (impact force when the carrier 110 hits) in a direction parallel to the long side 50b of the bill 50 is applied. 56(B), the banknotes 50 do not bend in the middle, and the banknotes 50 can be conveyed to the banknote storage chamber 14 reliably.

The banknote transport device 100 according to this embodiment has the following effects.
According to the banknote transport device 100 according to the present embodiment, even the banknote 50 with folds 51A to 51C in the vertical direction can pass between the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 so that the banknotes 50 shown in FIG. ), the banknote 50 has folds 51A-51C extending in the vertical direction and folds extending in the horizontal direction (folds parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50) 53A-53E. This improves the rigidity of the banknote 50 against an external force in the direction parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50 (increases the so-called "firmness").
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 22B, even if the carrier 110 hits the short side 50a of the bill 50, an external force (impact force when the carrier 110 hits) in a direction parallel to the long side 50b of the bill 50 is applied. 56B), the banknote 50 can be reliably transported to the banknote storage chamber 14.

The banknote transport device 100 according to the present embodiment is not limited to the structure described above, and various modifications are possible.
For example, each surface of the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B that constitute the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 in the present embodiment is formed with unevenness 221 having a triangular cross section. is not limited to For example, instead of the unevenness 221 having a triangular cross section, unevenness having a square, trapezoidal, semicircular cross section, or the like can be formed.
Any shape can be employed as the shape of the unevenness 221 as long as it is a shape that allows folding lines 53A to 53E parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50 . Note that the number of folds 53A to 53E parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50 is not limited to 5, and the transport speed of the banknote 50, the running speed of the carrier 110, and whether the banknote 50 is new or old (whether it is a new banknote). An arbitrary number can be selected according to, for example.

Moreover, it is also possible to arrange not only one pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 as in this embodiment, but also a plurality of pairs of banknote creasing rollers 220 along the transport direction of the banknotes 50 . In this case, the profiles (shape, number, spacing, etc.) of the unevenness 221 formed on each pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 of the plurality of pairs of banknote creasing rollers 220 can be made different from each other.
Although four slits 222 are formed in the second roller 220B in the banknote transport device 100 according to the present embodiment, the number of slits 222 is not limited to four. An arbitrary number of 1 or more can be selected according to the transport speed of the banknotes 50 or the like.

In the banknote transport device 100 according to the present embodiment, the slit 222 is formed only in one roller (second roller 220B) of the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220, but both of the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 It is also possible to form slits 222 in the roller.
When the slits 222 are formed in both rollers (the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B) of the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220, the slits formed in the first roller 220A and the slits formed in the second roller 220B are mutually can have different profiles (shape, number, spacing, etc.). In this way, by making the slits formed in both rollers different profiles, it is possible to increase the gripping force with respect to the banknotes 50 .

(Second embodiment)
In the banknote transport device 100 according to the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. The position where the banknote creasing device 200 is arranged is not limited to this. As described below, in the banknote transport device 300 according to the second embodiment, the banknote creasing device is arranged between the first duct and the second duct.
FIG. 23 is an overall schematic diagram of a bill conveying device 300 according to a second embodiment of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 23, the banknote transport device 300 according to this embodiment has two ducts, that is, a first duct 1201 (a duct corresponding to the duct 120 in the first embodiment) and a second duct 1202. have. Bills inserted into the bill inserting device 21 adjacent to each pachinko machine (not shown) are conveyed to the bill storage chamber 14 through the first duct 1201 and the second duct 1202 . The banknote creasing device 400 in this embodiment is arranged between the first duct 1201 and the second duct 1202 .
24A is a cross-sectional view of the banknote creasing device 400 according to the present embodiment, FIG. 24B is a vertical cross-sectional view of the banknote creasing device 400, and FIG. 24C is the direction A in FIG. 2 is a side view of the banknote creasing device 400 seen from the top. FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the banknote creasing device 400, and FIG. 26 is a partial perspective view of the banknote creasing device 400. FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 24A, 25 and 26, in the banknote transport device 300 according to the present embodiment, the carrier storage duct 130 branched from the first duct 1201 before the banknote creasing device 400. formed.

FIG. 27 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first duct 1201 and the carrier storage duct 130 branched from the first duct 1201, and FIG. 28 is the first duct 1201 and the carrier when viewed from the carrier storage duct 130 side. A partial perspective view of the storage duct 130, FIG. 29 is a partial perspective view of the first duct 1201 and the carrier storage duct 130 when viewed from the first duct 1201 side.
As shown in FIGS. 27 to 29, of the first region 120a and the second region 120b that constitute the first duct 1201, the first region 120a extends to the banknote creasing device 400, and the second region 120b extends to Before the banknote creasing device 400, the first area 120a is branched to one side (the left side in the traveling direction of the carrier 110 in FIG. 27). The branched second region 120b constitutes the carrier storage duct 130. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 24B and 27, the carrier storage duct 130 is connected at its tip to the second blower 12b.

FIG. 30 is a partial perspective view of the banknote creasing device 400. FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 24A, 25 and 30, the banknote creasing device 400 includes a pair of transport rollers 410, a pair of banknote creasing rollers 420, a banknote passage 430, a connecting member 440, a banknote It is composed of a delivery roller 450 , a pair of bill pressing plates 460 and a drive motor 470 .
As shown in FIG. 30, the pair of transport rollers 410 includes a cylindrical first roller 410A having an uneven surface and a cylindrical second roller 410B having an uneven surface. . The first roller 410A and the second roller 410B have the same radius and height.
The pair of bill creasing rollers 420 consists of a first roller 420A and a second roller 420B.

The first roller 420A consists of a cylindrical first portion 421A, a second portion 421B, and a third portion 421C, all of which have the unevenness 221 formed on the surface, in order from above. A space is provided between each of the first portion 421A, the second portion 421B and the third portion 421C. The first portion 421A, the second portion 421B and the third portion 421C have the same radius and are concentrically arranged. The first portion 421A and the third portion 421C have the same height, and the height of the second portion 421B is smaller than the height of the first portion 421A and the third portion 421C.
The second roller 420B consists of a first portion 422A, a second portion 422B, a third portion 422C and a fourth portion 422D in order from above. The second roller 420B has the same structure as the first roller 420A, except that the surface of the second portion 422B is not uneven and the fourth portion 422D is provided. The fourth portion 422D has a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the first through third portions 422A-422C.

The first roller 420A and the second roller 420B are arranged such that their first portions 421A and 422A face each other, their second portions 421B and 422B face each other, and their third portions 421C and 422C face each other. .
The banknote passage 430 communicates with the first region 120a of the first duct 1201 extending to the banknote creasing device 400, and as shown in FIG. is doing.
As shown in FIG. 26 , the banknote passage 430 is provided with an opening 430A for avoiding interference with the pair of transport rollers 410 and the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420 .
The bill feeding roller 450 and the bill holding plate 460 are the same as the bill feeding roller 250 and the bill holding plate 260 in the first embodiment, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 30 , the drive motor 470 drives the bill delivery roller 450 and the second roller 420B of the bill creasing roller 420 via the belt 471 . A belt 472 is stretched between the second portion 422B of the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420 and the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410, and the banknote creasing roller 420 is driven by the drive motor 470. The second roller 420B of , drives the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410 via the belt 472 .
31 is an exploded perspective view of the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420 and the connecting member 440, FIG. 32 is a perspective view when the connecting member 440 is attached to the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420, FIG. A) is a longitudinal sectional view of the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420, FIG. 33B is a longitudinal sectional view of the connecting member 440, and FIG. 33C is connected to the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420 4 is a longitudinal sectional view when a member 440 is attached; FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 31 and 33B, the connecting member 440 includes a rectangular plate-like first portion 440A extending in the vertical plane and a rectangular plate-like portion extending perpendicularly to the first portion 440A from the upper edge of the first portion 440A. A flat plate-shaped second portion 440B, a rectangular flat plate-shaped third portion 440C extending from the lower edge of the first portion 440A in the same direction as the second portion 440B and perpendicular to the first portion 440A, and from the lower surface of the third portion 440C and a downwardly extending hollow cylindrical fourth portion 440D.
The distance between the second portion 440B and the third portion 440C is, as shown in FIGS. A gap is set between the portion 440B and the third portion 440C so that it can be fitted.
Through holes 441 and 442 are formed in the second portion 440B and the third portion 440C. The second roller 410B of the transport roller 410 is rotatably connected to the connecting member 440 by arranging the through hole 441 and the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410 concentrically and inserting a pin.

The through-hole 442 is formed concentrically with the cylindrical fourth portion 440D.
As shown in FIG. 33A, the third portion 422C of the second roller 420B is formed with a ring-shaped groove 422E into which the fourth portion 440D can be fitted. In a state in which the fourth portion 440D is fitted in the groove 422E, the connecting member 440 is rotatable with respect to the third portion 422C of the second roller 420B. By fitting the fourth portion 440D into the groove 422E and passing a pin through the through hole 442 and the first portion 422A and the second portion 422B of the second roller 420B, the connecting member 440 and the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420 are separated. 32, the second portion 422B is housed inside the connecting member 440 together with the second roller 410B of the conveying roller 410. .
The fourth portion 440D is made of iron, and the third portion 422C of the second roller 420B is made of a magnet or other magnetic material. Therefore, the fourth portion 440</b>D and thus the connecting member 440 rotate together with the second roller 420</b>B of the banknote creasing roller 420 . Thus, the fourth portion 440D functions as a magnetic clutch.

34 and 35 are perspective views showing the operation of the connecting member 440. FIG.
When the banknote 50 is not sent from the first duct 1201 to the banknote passage 430, the first roller 420A and the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420 are rotated in the forward rotation direction S1 (the banknote 50 that has been sandwiched is moved to the first duct 1201). direction). As a result, as shown in FIG. 34, the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410 rotates together with the connecting member 440 and is separated from the first roller 420A.

When the banknote 50 is sent from the first duct 1201 to the banknote passage 430 and sandwiched between the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420, the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420 is rotated in the reverse direction S2 (the banknote 50 are sandwiched between the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420). As a result, as shown in FIG. 35, the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410 rotates together with the connecting member 440 and comes into contact with the first roller 410A. The banknote 50 is sandwiched between the first roller 410A and the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410, and the banknote 50 passes through the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420 as the transport roller 410 and the banknote creasing roller 420 rotate.
36 to 44 are cross-sectional views showing the operation of the banknote creasing device 400 in this embodiment. The operation of the banknote creasing device 400 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 36 to 44. FIG.

When banknotes 50 are thrown into the first duct 1201, the first blower 12a operates to generate an airflow (wind) W inside the first duct 1201 in the direction toward the second duct 1202. . As shown in FIG. 36 , the carrier 110 pushed by the airflow W captures the banknotes 50 inside the first duct 1201 and conveys the banknotes 50 toward the banknote creasing device 400 .
In this state, as shown in FIG. 36, the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410 is separated from the first roller 410A (the state shown in FIG. 34). Neither of the pair of transport rollers 410 and the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420 is in a stationary state.
The bills 50 that have passed through the first region 120a of the first duct 1201 enter the bill passage 430, pass between the pair of transport rollers 410, and hit the pair of bill creasing rollers 420 as shown in FIG. , sandwiched between a pair of banknote creasing rollers 420 .

As shown in FIG. 37, the carrier 110 carrying the bills 50 enters the carrier storage duct 130 from the first duct 1201 and stops inside the carrier storage duct 130 .
When the bill 50 reaches the pair of bill creasing rollers 420, a bill detection sensor (not shown) detects this and sends a bill arrival signal to the central controller (not shown).
Upon receiving the banknote arrival signal, the central controller stops the operation of the first blower 12a and rotates the banknote creasing roller 420 in the reverse direction S2 (see FIG. 35), as shown in FIG. As a result, the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410 rotates around the center of the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420 together with the connecting member 440, and is in contact with the first roller 420A (the state shown in FIG. 35). Become. In this state, the banknote 50 is sandwiched between the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420 at the front and between the pair of transport rollers 410 at the rear.

The central controller then activates drive motor 470 . As a result, as shown in FIG. 39, the banknote 50 is transported forward by the transport roller 410 and the belt 472 and begins to pass through the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420 .
As the banknote 50 advances further, as shown in FIG. 40, the trailing edge of the banknote 50 leaves the transport roller 410, and the leading edge advances into the second duct 1202 via the banknote delivery roller 450 and the banknote pressing plate 460. start.
Next, as shown in FIG. 41 , the banknote 50 leaves the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420 and is sent to the banknote delivery roller 450 and the banknote holding plate 460 so that most of the banknote 50 is inside the second duct 1202 . enter in.

Then, as shown in FIG. 42, the entire bill 50 enters inside the second duct 1202 . Thereafter, the banknote 50 is captured by the carrier 110 inside the second duct 1202 in the same manner as having been transported inside the first duct 1201, and transported to the banknote storage chamber 14 (see FIG. 23). ).
When a bill sensor (not shown) detects that a bill 50 has entered the second duct 1202, the bill sensor sends a detection signal to the central controller. Upon receiving this detection signal, the central controller rotates the first roller 420A and the second roller 420B of the banknote creasing roller 420 in the forward rotation direction S1 (see FIG. 33). As a result, as shown in FIG. 43, the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410 rotates together with the connecting member 440 and is separated from the first roller 420A (the state shown in FIG. 34).
After that, as shown in FIG. 44, the second roller 410B of the transport roller 410 is kept separated from the first roller 410A. In this way, the banknote creasing device 400 returns to the state before receiving the banknote 50 (the state shown in FIG. 36).

When a plurality of carriers 110 are stored in the carrier storage duct 130, a sensor (not shown) that detects this sends a detection signal to the central controller. Upon receiving this detection signal, the central controller operates the second blower 12b (see FIG. 24(B)). As a result, the plurality of carriers 110 housed in the carrier housing duct 130 receive the wind pressure of the air flow (wind) generated by the second blower 12b, and the inside of the first duct 1201 is moved by the first blower 12a. sent back towards
45 is a front view showing a state in which the banknote 50 is sandwiched between the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420, and FIG. 46 is a perspective view showing the state before and after the banknote 50 passes through the pair of banknote creasing rollers 420. It is a diagram.

The pair of banknote creasing rollers 420 has the same function as the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 in the first embodiment. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 22A, the banknote 50 has folds 53A to 53E parallel to the long side 50b. The rigidity of the banknote 50 against the external force acting on the banknote (specifically, the impact force when the carrier 110 hits the short side 50a of the banknote) is increased (the so-called stiffness is increased). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 22(B), even if the carrier 110 hits the short side 50a of the banknote 50, the banknote 50 will not be bent at the fold 51C in the vertical direction (see FIG. 56(B)). ), the banknotes 50 can be reliably transported to the banknote storage chamber 14 .

The banknote transport device 300 according to this embodiment has the same effect as the banknote transport device 100 according to the first embodiment. In order to enable the banknote creasing device 400 to reliably convey the banknote 50 in the duct, the length of the duct (total length of the first duct 1201 and the second duct 1202) is The banknote creaser 400 is particularly useful in this embodiment where the length of the duct 120 is greater.
(Third embodiment)
FIG. 47 is a partial plan view of a bill conveying device according to a third embodiment of the invention.
The banknote transport device according to this embodiment further includes a pair of preparation rollers 480A and 480B in addition to the banknote transport device 100 according to the first embodiment. The pair of preparation rollers 480A and 480B are arranged upstream of the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 (the first roller 220A and the second roller 220B) in the banknote transport direction.

One preparation roller 480A of the pair of preparation rollers 480A, 480B is configured so that its surface is always wet.
For example, the preparation roller 480A is made of a resin having moisturizing properties, and by supplying water to the preparation roller 480A via the water supply means 481, the surface of the preparation roller 480A is kept moist. be able to.
The banknote 50 passes through the pair of preparation rollers 480A and 480B before the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220.例文帳に追加Since the surface of the preparation roller 480A is wet, the bill 50 passing through the pair of preparation rollers 480A and 480B is also wet to some extent. The wet banknote 50 is fed to a pair of banknote creasing rollers 220, and the banknote creasing rollers 220 create creases 53A-53E in the banknote 50 parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50, but the banknote 50 is wet. , making it easier to apply the creases 53A-53E.

In this embodiment, only one preparation roller 480A is configured so that its surface is always wet, but both preparation rollers 480A, 480B can be configured so.
When providing the pair of preparation rollers 480A and 480B in the banknote transport apparatus according to this embodiment, the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 can be further improved.
FIG. 48 is a partial plan view of a banknote conveying device according to a modification of this embodiment.
The banknote transport device according to this modification further includes a heating device 482 . The heating device 482 has a function of heating the surfaces of the pair of bill creasing rollers 220 .

A pair of preparation rollers 480A, 480B feeds the banknote 50 with a wet surface to a pair of banknote creasing rollers 220. As shown in FIG. The pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 creases 53A to 53E on the banknote 50 by the unevenness 221 on the surface thereof, and the surface heated by the heating device 482 heats the banknote 50 to evaporate the moisture of the banknote 50 .
As described above, according to the banknote conveying apparatus according to the present modification, it is possible to crease the wet banknotes 50 with the creases 53A to 53E and remove the moisture from the banknotes 50 .

(Fourth embodiment)
The banknote conveying apparatus according to the fourth embodiment includes a banknote creasing unit 500 instead of the pair of banknote creasing rollers 220 compared to the banknote conveying apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.
49A is a plan view of the banknote creasing unit 500, and FIGS. 49B and 49C are side views of the banknote creasing unit 500. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 49A, the banknote creasing unit 500 includes a first wall portion 510 extending along the transport path of the banknotes 50 and a second wall portion facing the first wall portion 510. 520 and . The first wall portion 510 is configured to be movable in a direction R<b>1 toward the second wall portion 520 and a direction R<b>2 away from the second wall portion 520 .

As shown in FIG. 49B, the surfaces of the first wall portion 510 and the second wall portion 520 are provided with irregularities 511 and 521 extending in the direction in which the banknote 50 is conveyed (the direction parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50). formed. As shown in FIG. 49(C), the protrusion formed on one of the first wall portion 510 and the second wall portion 520 fits into the recess formed on the other.
When the bill 50 is not sent, the first wall portion 510 and the second wall portion 520 are separated from each other as shown in FIGS. 49(A) and 49(B). When the banknote 50 fed from the banknote take-in roller 210 reaches between the first wall portion 510 and the second wall portion 520, the first wall portion 510 moves in the direction R1 toward the second wall portion 520, The banknote 50 is sandwiched between the two walls 520.例文帳に追加
The first wall portion 510 sandwiches the banknote 50 with the second wall portion 520 for a predetermined time (a time sufficient for the banknote 50 to form the creases 53A to 53E), thereby forming the banknote 50 with the creases 53A to 53E.

After that, as shown in FIG. 49C , the first wall portion 510 moves away from the second wall portion 520 in the direction R2, and the banknote 50 is transported toward the banknote feeding roller 250 .
Thus, the bill conveying apparatus according to the present embodiment can fold the bill 50 parallel to the long side 50b, like the bill conveying apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment.
The lengths of the first wall portion 510 and the second wall portion 520 in the transport direction of the banknote 50 are set longer than the long side 50b of the banknote 50 or equal to the long side 50b of the banknote 50 .

Alternatively, the lengths of the first wall portion 510 and the second wall portion 520 in the transport direction of the banknotes 50 can be set shorter than the long side 50b of the banknotes 50 . For example, it can be set to half the length of the long side 50b of the bill 50 . In this case, the stop position of the banknote 50 is adjusted so that the rear half of the banknote 50 in the transport direction of the banknote 50 is sandwiched between the first wall portion 510 and the second wall portion 520 . Even if the creases 53A to 53E are formed only on the rear half of the banknote 50, it is possible to ensure the rigidity against an external force parallel to the long side 50b of the banknote 50 (impact force when the carrier 110 hits the banknote 50). .
It is also possible to arrange the pair of preparation rollers 480A and 480B described in the third embodiment on the upstream side of the banknote creasing unit 500 .

100 Banknote transport device 110 Carrier 120 Duct 130 Carrier storage duct 200 Banknote creasing device 210 Banknote take-in roller 220 Banknote creasing roller 230 First banknote path 240 Second banknote path 250 Sending out banknotes according to the first embodiment of the present invention Roller 260 Banknote holding plate 270 Drive motor 300 Banknote conveying device 400 according to the second embodiment of the present invention Banknote creasing device 420 Banknote creasing rollers 480A and 480B Preparation roller 500 Creasing unit

Claims (12)

a duct;
a carrier running in the duct;
a first blower that generates an air flow in one direction in the duct;
a second blower that generates an air flow in the duct in a direction opposite to the one direction;
with
A banknote transport device in which the carrier is caused to travel in the duct by an air flow generated in the duct by the first blower, and the carrier transports banknotes inserted into the duct,
a creasing device that creases the banknotes extending in a direction parallel to the running direction of the carrier before the banknotes are inserted into the duct ;
The creasing device comprises two rollers whose axes are perpendicular to the running direction of the carrier and parallel to each other,
These two rollers have uneven surfaces formed in a horizontal plane, and the protrusions of one roller fit into the recesses of the other roller, and the bill is sandwiched between these two rollers. A banknote conveying device, wherein the crease is provided . 2. The banknote conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said two rollers is formed with at least one slit extending parallel to said axis. The creasing device is
a first pair of rollers;
a second roller pair arranged downstream in the banknote transport direction with respect to the first roller pair,
each of the first roller pair and the second roller pair consists of the two rollers;
One roller of the first roller pair is formed to be rotatable around the rotation axis of one roller of the second roller pair at a position corresponding to the roller, and the first roller pair 2. The banknote conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the banknote conveying apparatus is rotatable between a position in contact with the other roller of the first roller pair and a position away from the other roller of the first roller pair. A connecting member is detachably attached to the rotating shaft of one roller of the second roller pair,
4. The banknote conveying apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein one roller of said first pair of rollers is rotatably attached inside said connecting member. 5. The banknote conveying apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting member is attached to the rotating shaft of one roller of the second roller pair via a magnetic clutch. The creasing device comprises a pair of preparation rollers arranged upstream of the two rollers, and the surface of at least one roller of the pair of preparation rollers is arranged to be constantly wet. The banknote transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , characterized by: 7. The banknote conveying apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising heating means for heating surfaces of said two rollers. The creasing device includes a first wall extending along the banknote transport path and a second wall facing the first wall,
one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion is movable toward or away from the other;
Concavities and convexities are formed on the surfaces of the first wall portion and the second wall portion so as to extend in the direction in which the bills are conveyed, and the convex portion of one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion fits into the concave portion of the other. 2. The banknote conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the banknote is sandwiched between the first wall portion and the second wall portion so that the crease is provided. The creasing device comprises a pair of preparation rollers positioned upstream of the first wall and the second wall, the surface of each roller of the pair of preparation rollers being configured to be constantly wetted. 9. The bill conveying apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the bill conveying apparatus is characterized by: 10. The banknote conveying apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising heating means for heating surfaces of said first wall portion and said second wall portion. 6. The banknote transport according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the creasing device is arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction of the banknotes from a position where the banknotes are thrown into the duct. Device. The banknote transport device includes a second duct leading to a banknote storage chamber for storing banknotes,
6. The creasing device is arranged between the duct and the second duct, and the bills are sent from the duct to the second duct via the creasing device. The banknote conveying device according to any one of 1.

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