JP7265802B2 - Banknote storage device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a banknote storage device that is applied to automatic vending machines, money changers, etc., and transports banknotes inserted from a banknote slot to store them in a banknote storage section.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a banknote storage device (banknote recognition device) described in Patent Document 1 is known. This banknote storage device discriminates the authenticity of banknotes inserted from a banknote insertion slot, conveys banknotes that have been determined to be correct, and stores them in a banknote storage unit. A banknote storage device that conveys banknotes inserted through a banknote insertion slot and stores them in a banknote storage unit in this manner transports banknotes that have been inserted into the banknote insertion slot into the main body of the device along a transport path. A transport unit (banknote transport mechanism), a pressing means (banknote pushing mechanism) that pushes the transported banknotes into a banknote storage box (banknote storage unit) and stacks and stores them, one motor that can rotate forward and backward, and the motor By coupling, both the forward rotation and the reverse rotation of the motor are transmitted to the bill conveying unit (bills conveying mechanism), and out of the forward and reverse rotations of the motor, for example, only the reverse rotation is transmitted to the pressing means (bills and a power transmission means (driving mechanism) for transmitting power to the pushing mechanism).

In such a banknote storage device (bill validating device), when the motor rotates forward, the pressing means does not operate, only the banknote transport section operates, and the banknote inserted into the banknote insertion slot is moved by the banknote transport section. The motor is switched to reverse rotation in a state in which the sheet is conveyed inside the main body and removed from the conveying path. Then, the banknotes that have left the transport path are pushed into the banknote storage box by the pressing means that is operated by the reverse rotation of the motor. When the motor rotates in the reverse direction, the banknote conveying unit conveys the banknote in the opposite direction toward the banknote insertion slot. The bills are pushed into the banknote storage box by the pressing means, and are stacked and stored in the banknote storage box.

According to such a banknote identification device (bill storage device), there is no need to provide a separate power source (motor) for each of the banknote transport section and the pressing means, and a single drive source common to them is provided. Since only one is required, the cost can be reduced and the device can be made compact.

JP-A-6-150106

However, in the above-described conventional banknote storage device (banknote identification device), when the pressing means (banknote push-in mechanism) is operated to stack and store banknotes in the banknote storage box, the banknote conveying unit is moved by the motor that rotates in the reverse direction. is conveyed in the reverse direction (direction toward the bill insertion slot). For this reason, the banknotes that are about to be pushed into the banknote storage box are transported in the opposite direction on the transport path due to the bending of the banknotes or the like, and the banknotes cannot be reliably stored in the banknote storage box (the banknote storage unit). there is a possibility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a banknote storage device capable of reliably storing banknotes in a banknote storage portion.

A banknote storage device according to the present invention includes a device main body, an upper cover portion and a rear cover portion, a banknote transport mechanism for transporting banknotes inserted from a banknote slot along a transport path, and an exit position of the transport path. is commonly provided for both the banknote pushing mechanism, which pushes in the banknotes whose trailing ends have passed through the banknote storage portion, and the banknote transport mechanism and the banknote pushing mechanism. a directionally operable power source coupled to the power source for pushing banknotes in the forward direction from the banknote slot toward the exit position without operating the banknote pushing mechanism when the power source operates in the forward direction; When the power source operates in the reverse direction, the banknote transport mechanism is reversely driven so as to transport the banknotes in the opposite direction from the exit position to the banknote insertion port. and a driving mechanism for causing the bill pushing mechanism to perform the pushing operation while driving, wherein the rear end portion of the bill having passed through the outlet position when the power source operates in the reverse direction. a banknote return prevention mechanism for preventing the banknote transport mechanism from returning to the exit position due to reverse driving of the banknote transport mechanism; It becomes the structure provided so that the one part may protrude from the side surface .

With such a configuration, when the power source is operated in the forward direction, bills inserted from the bill slot are transported along the transport path by the forwardly driven bill transport mechanism. At this time, the banknote push-in mechanism does not operate. When the power source is operated in the reverse direction after the trailing edge of the bills conveyed along the conveying path has passed the exit position of the conveying path, the bills that have passed the exit position of the conveying path are pushed by the bill pushing mechanism. is accommodated in the banknote accommodation section by. At this time, the banknote transport mechanism is reversely driven, and even if the banknote that has passed the exit position of the transport path by the reversely driven banknote transport mechanism attempts to return to the exit position, the banknote return blocking mechanism causes the banknote to return to the exit position. prevented from returning.

In the banknote storage device according to the present invention, the banknote return blocking mechanism prevents the banknotes from returning when the banknotes transported by the banknote transport mechanism, which is driven in the forward direction based on the forward operation of the power source, passes the exit position. It may be configured to have a stopper mechanism that is at a retracted position that does not hinder movement and moves to a stopper position that prevents the bill from returning to the exit position after the rear end of the bill has passed the exit position. can.

With such a configuration, when the power source operates in the forward direction, the bill return blocking mechanism is in the retracted position. In this state, banknotes transported by the banknote transport mechanism that is forwardly driven based on the forward operation of the power source pass through the exit position of the transport path without being hindered by the banknote return blocking mechanism. After the trailing edge of the bill has passed the exit position, the bill return blocking mechanism is at the stopper position. In this state, even if the banknote transport mechanism reversely driven based on the reverse operation of the power source tries to return the banknote to the outlet position, the banknote return preventing mechanism at the stopper position prevents the banknote from returning to the outlet position. is blocked.

In the banknote storage device according to the present invention, the stopper mechanism includes a lever member that swings between the retracted position that does not hinder the movement of the banknote and the stopper position that prevents the banknote from returning to the exit position; an urging mechanism that applies an urging force to the lever member so that the lever member is maintained at the stopper position, and the banknote conveying mechanism is adapted to convey bills before the banknotes conveyed by the banknote conveying mechanism that is forwardly driven reaches the exit position. When the banknote to be pushed moves the lever member from the stopper position to the retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism, and after the trailing end of the banknote has passed the exit position, the lever member moves to the retracted position. The member may return to the stopper position by the biasing force of the biasing mechanism.

With such a configuration, when the power source operates in the forward direction, the bills conveyed by the bill conveying mechanism that is driven forward move the lever member at the stopper position to the biasing force of the biasing mechanism before reaching the exit position. resist and move to the retracted position. Then, the banknote is further transported by the forwardly driven banknote transport mechanism, and after the trailing end of the banknote passes the exit position, the lever member swings by the biasing force of the biasing mechanism and returns to the stopper position. In this state, even if the banknotes are to be returned to the outlet position by the banknote transport mechanism that is reversely driven based on the reverse operation of the power source, the banknotes are prevented from returning to the outlet position by the lever member at the stopper position. be done.

In the banknote storage device according to the present invention, when the lever member is at the retracted position, a detection signal indicating a first state is output, and when the lever member is at the stopper position, a second state different from the first state is output. It can be configured to have a detector that outputs detection signals in two states.

According to this configuration, when the power source operates in the forward direction, the lever member at the stopper position is actuated by the biasing mechanism before the banknotes transported by the forwardly driven banknote transporting mechanism reach the exit position. Move to a retreat position against the force. Then, the detection signal from the detector changes from the second state to the first state. Further, the banknote is further transported by the forwardly driven banknote transport mechanism, and after the trailing end of the banknote passes the exit position, the lever member swings by the biasing force of the biasing mechanism and returns to the stopper position. Then, the detection signal from the detector changes from the first state to the second state. The fact that the detection signal from the detector changes from the first state to the second state indicates that the trailing edge of the bill has passed the exit position. Therefore, the lever member of the stopper mechanism as the banknote return prevention mechanism can be used as an exit detector for detecting that the trailing end of the banknote has passed the exit position.

A banknote storage device according to the present invention includes a banknote transport mechanism that transports banknotes inserted from a banknote slot along a transport path, and a banknote storage unit that stores banknotes whose trailing ends have passed through the exit position of the transport path. a bill push-in mechanism for pushing in the banknotes, a power source commonly provided for both the bill transport mechanism and the bill push-in mechanism, capable of forward and reverse operations, and coupled to the power source. and driving the banknote transport mechanism in the forward direction so that the banknotes are transported in the positive direction from the banknote insertion slot toward the exit position without operating the banknote pushing mechanism when the power source operates in the forward direction, When the power source operates in reverse, a drive mechanism that reversely drives the banknote transport mechanism so as to transport banknotes in the opposite direction from the exit position to the banknote slot and causes the banknote pushing mechanism to perform the pushing operation. and an exit detector for detecting that the rear end of the bill conveyed by the bill conveying mechanism has passed the exit position when the power source operates in the forward direction. an operation switching control unit for switching the power source from forward operation to reverse operation when the outlet detector detects that the trailing edge of the banknote has passed the outlet position; and a banknote return blocking mechanism for blocking banknotes, the rear end of which has passed through the exit position, from returning to the exit position due to the reverse driving of the banknote transport mechanism when the banknote moves in the reverse direction. .

With such a configuration, when the power source is operated in the forward direction, bills inserted from the bill slot are transported along the transport path by the forwardly driven bill transport mechanism. At this time, the banknote push-in mechanism does not operate. When the exit detector detects that the trailing edge of the bill being transported along the transport path has passed the exit position of the transport path, the power source is switched from forward operation to reverse operation. Then, bills that have passed the exit position of the transport path are accommodated in the bill accommodating portion by the pushing operation of the bill pushing mechanism caused by the reverse operation of the power source. At this time, the banknote transport mechanism is reversely driven by the reverse operation of the power source. A blocking mechanism prevents return to the exit position.

In the banknote conveying apparatus according to the present invention, the banknote conveying mechanism that is forwardly driven based on the forward operation of the power source conveys the banknotes without stopping the banknotes until they pass through the exit position. When the outlet detector does not detect that the trailing edge of the banknote has passed the outlet position even after a predetermined period of time has passed, the forced operation is to perform the reverse direction operation for a second predetermined period of time and then stop. and a forced operation control unit for causing the power source to perform the forced operation, and when the outlet detector detects that the trailing end of the banknote has passed the outlet position after the forced operation of the power source is completed. and a reverse operation return control section for operating the power source in the reverse direction again.

With such a configuration, when the banknote conveying mechanism, which is forwardly driven based on the forward operation of the power source, starts the operation of conveying the banknotes until they pass the exit position without stopping, the banknotes normally remain at the exit position. and the outlet detector detects that the trailing edge of the bill has passed the outlet position. However, the trailing end of the banknote passed the exit position by the exit detector even after the first predetermined time elapsed from the start timing of the operation of conveying the banknote until it passed the exit position without stopping. is not detected, the power source is forced to operate in the reverse direction for a second predetermined period of time and stop. By this forced operation, the bill pushing mechanism performs the pushing operation while the bill conveying mechanism is reversely driven for the second predetermined time. At this time, if the trailing end portion of the banknote cannot pass through the exit position for some reason, but the banknote can be pushed into the banknote storage section by the pushing operation of the banknote pushing mechanism, the banknote cannot pass through the exit position. Unloaded bills may be passed through said exit position by the pushing action of the bill pushing mechanism. After the forcible operation ends, if the exit detector detects that the trailing end of the banknote has passed the exit position, the power source operates in the reverse direction again. When the power source is operated in the reverse direction again, the banknote transport mechanism is reversely driven, and the banknote is accommodated in the banknote storage portion by the pushing operation of the banknote pushing mechanism.

In the banknote storage device according to the present invention, the outlet detector includes a lever member that swings between a first position and a second position, and a lever member that maintains the lever member at the second position. an urging mechanism that applies an urging force to the lever member, outputs a first state detection signal when the lever member is in the first position, and outputs the first state when the lever member is in the second position; a detector body for outputting a detection signal in a different second state, wherein the bill conveyed by the bill conveying mechanism driven in the forward direction reaches the exit position before the bill conveyed reaches the second state; The lever member is moved to the first position against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism, and after the trailing end of the bill has passed the exit position, the lever member is moved to the biasing mechanism. can be configured to return to the second position by an urging force of .

According to such a configuration, when the power source operates in the forward direction, the bills conveyed by the bill conveying mechanism driven in the forward direction move the lever member at the second position to the urging mechanism before reaching the exit position. Move to the first position against the biasing force. Then, the detection signal from the detector body changes from the second state to the first state. Further, the banknote is further transported by the forwardly driven banknote transport mechanism, and after the trailing end of the banknote passes the exit position, the lever member is swung by the biasing force of the biasing mechanism to move from the first position to the second position. back to Then, the detection signal from the detector body changes from the first state to the second state. The fact that the detection signal from the detector main body changes from the first state to the second state indicates that the trailing edge of the bill has passed the exit position. That is, when the detection signal from the detector body changes from the first state to the second state, it can be detected that the trailing edge of the banknote has passed the exit position.

In the banknote storage device according to the present invention, the first position is a retreat in which the lever member does not hinder the movement of the banknotes when the banknotes transported by the banknote transport mechanism operating in the forward direction pass through the exit position. position, wherein the second position is a stopper position where the lever member prevents the bill from returning to the exit position after the rear end of the bill has passed the exit position. be able to.

With such a configuration, when the power source operates in the forward direction, the bills conveyed by the bill conveying mechanism that is driven forward move the lever member at the stopper position to the biasing force of the biasing mechanism before reaching the exit position. resist and move to the retracted position. Then, the detection signal from the detector body changes from the second state to the first state. Then, the banknote is further transported by the forwardly driven banknote transport mechanism, and after the trailing end of the banknote passes the exit position, the lever member swings by the biasing force of the biasing mechanism and returns to the stopper position. Then, the detection signal from the detector body changes from the first state to the second state. As a result, it is possible to detect that the trailing edge of the bill has passed the exit position, and the bill will return to the exit position by the bill transport mechanism that is reversely driven based on the reverse operation of the power source. However, the bill is prevented from returning to the exit position by the lever member of the exit detector at the stopper position.

According to the banknote storage device according to the present invention, the power source is switched from the normal direction operation to the reverse direction operation, and the banknotes whose rear end has once passed the outlet position are reversely driven based on the reverse direction operation of the power source. Even if the banknote conveying mechanism tries to return the banknote to the exit position, the banknote return blocking mechanism prevents the banknote from returning to the exit position. can be accommodated in the department.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a banknote accommodation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the top cover of the banknote storage device is opened. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the rear cover of the banknote accommodation device is opened. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the inside (part 1) of the banknote accommodation device. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the inside (part 2) of the banknote accommodation device. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a state (part 1) of banknotes BL transported by a transport belt (banknote transport mechanism). FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a state (part 2) of banknotes BL transported by a transport belt (banknote transport mechanism). FIG. 6C is a diagram showing a state (3) of banknotes BL transported by a transport belt (banknote transport mechanism). FIG. 6D is a diagram showing a state (part 4) of banknotes BL transported by a transport belt (banknote transport mechanism). FIG. 6E is a diagram showing a state (No. 5) of banknotes BL transported by a transport belt (banknote transport mechanism). FIG. 6F is a diagram showing a state (No. 6) of banknotes BL transported by a transport belt (banknote transport mechanism). FIG. 7A is an enlarged view showing the state of the lever member of the exit sensor when the leading edge of the bill BL being conveyed passes through the exit position Pout (corresponding to FIG. 6E). FIG. 7B is an enlarged view showing the state of the lever member of the exit sensor after the trailing end portion of the conveyed bill BL has passed through the exit position Pout (corresponding to FIG. 6F). FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control system in the banknote accommodation device. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the flow of bill intake control processing in the bill storage device. FIG. 10A is a flow chart showing a flow (part 1) of stack control processing for storing banknotes in the banknote storage device. FIG. 10B is a flow chart showing a flow (part 2) of stack control processing for storing banknotes in the banknote storage device.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A banknote storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the bill accommodation device, FIG. 2 is an appearance perspective view showing a state in which the upper cover of the bill accommodation device is opened, and FIG. 3 is a rear cover of the bill accommodation device. 4 and 5 are side views showing the inside of the banknote accommodation device.

The banknote storage device 100 has a device main body 110 , an upper cover portion 120 and a rear cover portion 130 . The upper cover part 120 is provided so as to be openable and closable around the hinge at the upper rear end of the apparatus main body 110 (see FIG. 2), and the rear cover part 130 can be opened and closed around the hinge at the lower rear end of the apparatus main body 110 . It is freely provided (see FIG. 3). A banknote storage section 40 for stacking and storing banknotes is formed in the device main body 110, and a support plate 41 supported by a spring 42 extending upward from the bottom is provided in the banknote storage section 40. ing. Above the banknote storage unit 40 are a banknote transport mechanism 10, a banknote pushing mechanism 30, a motor 50 capable of forward rotation (operation in the forward direction) and reverse rotation (operation in the reverse direction), and a drive mechanism 51 mechanically coupled to the motor 50. are placed. The motor 50 is a power source common to both the banknote transport mechanism 10 and the banknote pushing mechanism 30 .

In the banknote transport mechanism 10, a transport belt 13 is wound between a large-diameter driving pulley 11 and a small-diameter driven pulley 12, and the transport belt 13 is circulated by the rotation of the driving pulley 11 (Fig. 4, see Figure 5). Two sets of the drive pulley 11 , the driven pulley 12 and the conveyor belt 13 are provided, and each set is provided along one of two opposed edge portions extending in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus body 110 . As shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion of each conveying belt 13 is exposed from the upper surface of the apparatus main body 110 (only one conveying belt 13 is shown in FIG. 2).

Since the two drive pulleys 11 rotate synchronously, the two conveyor belts 13 circulate in the same manner. Therefore, one set of the driving pulley 11, the driven pulley 12, and the conveying belt 13 that is wound around them and circulates will be described below.

Driven rollers 14 and 15 included in the banknote transport mechanism 10 are provided on the upper cover portion 120 so as to partly protrude from the bottom surface of the upper cover portion 120 . The driven roller 14 is arranged to face the driven pulley 12 in the device main body 110 with the transport belt 13 interposed therebetween, and the driven roller 15 is arranged to face the drive pulley 11 in the device main body 110 with the transport belt 13 interposed therebetween. are arranged to Further, inside the rear cover part 130, an exit roller 16 (driven roller) included in the banknote transport mechanism 10 is provided so that a part thereof protrudes from the inner surface of the rear cover part 130 (see FIG. 3). ing. The outlet roller 16 is arranged so as to face a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as an outlet position Pout) immediately before the conveying belt 13 is unhooked from the drive pulley 11 in the apparatus main body 110 (see the figure to be described later). 7A and 7B).

When the upper cover part 120 is closed with respect to the apparatus main body 110 (see FIGS. 1, 4 and 5), a gap is provided between the bottom surface of the upper cover part 120 and the upper surface of the apparatus main body 110 in which bills BL can move. is formed. By closing the upper cover portion 120 with respect to the apparatus main body 110, the gap portion extending from the banknote slot 101 formed by opening the gap to the outside at the front end portion of the upper cover portion 120 and the conveying belt 13 continuing therefrom. A path extending from the portion wound around the driving pulley 11 to the exit position Pout is formed as a conveying path CV. Note that an introduction tray 102 for guiding bills BL to the bill insertion slot 101 is provided at the front end portion of the apparatus main body 110 .

In the banknote transport mechanism 10 as described above, the banknotes BL inserted from the banknote slot 101 through the introduction tray 102 are transported while being sandwiched between the transport belt 13 and the driven rollers 14 and 15 by the transport belt 13 that circulates. It is transported toward the exit position Pout within the path CV. Then, the bill BL is conveyed until the trailing end passes the exit roller 16 at the exit position Pout.

The banknote pushing mechanism 30 has basically the same configuration as that described in Patent Document 1. A guide member 31 having a U-shaped cross section is provided above the banknote storage unit 40, and the banknote pushing mechanism 30 passes through the guide member 31 and moves up and down a push plate 32 and a push plate 32. is provided with a link mechanism 33 for moving up and down. The link mechanism 33 has basically the same structure as the link device described in Patent Document 1, and the movement of the two crossing frames vertically moves the push plate 32 engaged with the leading ends of the two frames. It has a structure.

In the bill pushing mechanism 30 described above, as shown in FIG. The pushed banknote BL is pushed by the push plate 32 , and the banknote BL is pushed into the banknote storage section 40 while being sandwiched between the push plate 32 and the support plate 41 . Thereafter, the push plate 32 is moved upward by the reverse movement of the link mechanism 33 , and the banknotes BL are stored in the banknote storage section 40 in a state of being stacked on the support plate 41 .

A stack sensor 25 is provided in relation to the banknote push-in mechanism 30 in the device main body 110 . The stack sensor 25 outputs an OFF signal when the push plate 32 is at the initial position shown in FIG. (see FIG. 5) outputs an ON signal.

A series of operations in which the link mechanism 33 moves the push plate 32 downward and then lifts the push plate 32 by the link mechanism 33 is referred to as a pushing operation for storing the banknote BL in the banknote storage unit 40 . This banknote pushing operation differs depending on the structure of the banknote pushing mechanism 30 , but is not particularly limited as long as it is an operation for accommodating the banknote BL in the banknote storage section 40 .

An entrance sensor 21, an identification sensor 22, and a passage sensor 23 are provided in the upper cover portion 120 so as to be arranged along the conveying path CV. The entrance sensor 21 is provided at a position immediately after the banknote slot 101 on the transport path CV, and is composed of a lever member 21a and a detector 21b. A portion of the lever member 21a protrudes from the bottom surface of the upper cover portion 120 into the transport path CV (see FIGS. 2, 4 and 5). jumped up by With the lever member 21a flipped up, the detector 21b outputs a detection signal (ON) indicating that the bill BL is passing.

The identification sensor 22, which is arranged at a position a predetermined distance away from the entrance sensor 21 downstream in the transport direction, is detected by a light emitting element 22a provided on the upper cover portion 120 side and a light receiving element 22b provided on the apparatus main body 110 side. (see FIGS. 2, 4 and 5). The light-emitting element 22a and the light-receiving element 22b are arranged to face each other with the transport path CV interposed therebetween. is exposed from the top surface of the Then, based on the detection signal output from the light receiving element 22b that receives the light from the light emitting element 22a, it is possible to determine whether the banknote BL is genuine or counterfeit.

Actually, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality (for example, three) of the identification sensors 22 (combinations of the light-emitting element 22a and the light-receiving element 22b) are arranged in a direction crossing the conveying direction of the banknotes BL. Based on the detection signals from the plurality of identification sensors 22 (light receiving elements 22b), it is possible to more accurately determine the authenticity of the inserted banknotes BL.

The passage sensor 23 arranged at a position a predetermined distance away from the identification sensor 22 on the downstream side in the conveying direction is, like the entrance sensor 21, composed of a lever member 23a and a detector 23b. A part of the lever member 23a protrudes from the bottom of the upper cover part 120 into the transport path CV (see FIGS. 2, 4 and 5). jumped up by With the lever member 23a flipped up, the detector 23b outputs a detection signal (ON) indicating that the bill BL is passing.

A drive mechanism 51 mechanically coupled to a motor 50, which is a power source common to both the banknote transport mechanism 10 and the banknote push-in mechanism 30, is not shown in detail, but is similar to that of Patent Document 1. are basically the same. That is, the driving mechanism 51 transmits both forward and reverse rotation power of the motor 50 to the banknote transport mechanism 10, and transmits forward rotation power of the motor 50 to the banknote pushing mechanism 30 by a one-way clutch. Instead, only the reverse rotation power of the motor 50 is transmitted to the bill pushing mechanism 30. - 特許庁Therefore, when the motor 50 rotates forward (operates in the forward direction), the drive mechanism 51 conveys the bill BL in the forward direction from the bill slot 101 toward the exit position Pout without operating the bill push-in mechanism 30 . At the same time, the driving pulley 11 of the transport belt 13 is rotated forward to move the transport belt 13 in forward circulation (forward drive of the banknote transport mechanism 10). Further, the drive mechanism 51 reversely rotates the drive pulley 11 of the transport belt 13 so as to transport the banknotes BL in the reverse direction from the exit position Pout to the banknote insertion port 101 when the motor 50 rotates in the reverse direction (operates in the reverse direction). While rotating and moving the conveyor belt 13 in a reverse circulation (reversely driving the banknote transport mechanism 10), the power of the motor 50 is transmitted to the banknote pushing mechanism 30, and the banknote pushing mechanism 30 performs the aforementioned pushing operation (the link mechanism 33 to reciprocate the push plate 32 up and down).

An exit sensor 24 (exit detector) is provided in the rear cover portion 130 so as to be arranged with a predetermined positional relationship with the exit position Pout of the conveying path CV. When the motor 50 rotates forward, the exit sensor 24 senses that the trailing edge of the bill BL transported in the forward direction by the bill transport mechanism 10 (transport belt 13) has passed the exit position Pout (outlet roller 16). It is used to detect (that the banknote BL has left the conveying path CV). The exit sensor 24 has a lever member 24a, a torsion spring 24b (biasing mechanism), and a detector main body 24c, as shown enlarged in FIGS. 7A and 7B to be described later along with FIGS. The lever member 24a has a retracted position (first position: see FIG. 7A) that does not hinder passage of the conveyed bills BL through the exit position Pout, and prevents bills BL that have passed the exit position Pout from returning to the exit position Pout. and a stopper position (second position: see FIG. 7B), it can swing about a predetermined axis. A torsion spring 24b (biasing mechanism) is attached to the swing shaft of the lever member 24a, and applies a biasing force to the lever member 24b so that the lever member 24a is maintained at the stopper position (second position: see FIG. 7B). giving.

The lever member 24a causes the torsion spring 24b to be pulled by the transported banknotes BL before the banknotes BL transported in the forward direction by the transport belt 13, which moves in the forward circulation based on the forward rotation of the motor 50, reaches the exit position Pout. It is swung from the stopper position (see FIG. 7B) to the retracted position (see FIG. 7A) against the urging force. After the rear end of the banknote BL has passed the exit position Pout, the lever member 24a is disengaged from the banknote BL being conveyed, and the lever member 24a is moved to the retracted position (FIG. 7A) by the biasing force of the torsion spring 24b. ) to the stopper position (see FIG. 7B).

When the lever member 24a is in the retracted position (first position: see FIG. 7A), the detector main body 24c outputs a detection signal in the first state (ON) under the influence of the lever member 24a, When the lever member 24a is in the stopper position (second position: see FIG. 7B), the detection signal of the second state (OFF) different from the first state is output without being affected by the lever member 24a. do. Based on the state (first state or second state) of the detection signal from the detector main body 24c, it is determined whether the rear end of the banknote BL conveyed in the normal direction has passed the exit position Pout (exit roller 16). It is possible to determine whether or not

The lever member 24a and the torsion spring 24b (biasing mechanism) of the exit sensor 24 reversely circulate based on the reverse rotation of the motor 50 when the bill BL whose rear end has passed the exit position Pout due to the forward rotation of the motor 50 is rotated. It also functions as a banknote return mechanism (stopper mechanism) that prevents the transport belt 13 (banknote transport mechanism 10) from returning to the exit position Pout.

In the banknote accommodation device 100 described above, banknotes BL are accommodated in the banknote accommodation unit 40 in the following manner.

When the banknote BL is inserted from the banknote slot 101 and the banknote BL is detected by the entrance sensor 21 (output of ON signal) as shown in FIG. 6A, the motor 50 starts to rotate forward. A drive mechanism 51 coupled to a motor 50 that rotates forward rotates the drive pulley 11 of the banknote transport mechanism 10 forward, thereby causing the transport belt 13 to circulate forward. The banknotes BL inserted into the banknote insertion port 101 are conveyed in the forward direction toward the exit position Pout by the conveying belt 13 that moves in the positive circulation. At this time, the one-way clutch included in the drive mechanism 51 does not transmit the forward rotation power of the motor 50 to the banknote pushing mechanism 30, and the banknote pushing mechanism 30 does not operate.

The banknotes BL conveyed by the conveying belt 13 moving in forward circulation pass the identification sensor 22 as shown in FIGS. 6B, 6C and 6D. At this time, the authenticity of the banknote BL is determined based on the detection signal from the identification sensor 22 (light receiving element 22b). It is conveyed toward the exit position Pout. Then, as shown in FIGS. 6D and 6E, when the bill BL passes the position of the passage sensor 23, the conveyed bill BL is confirmed based on the detection signal from the passage sensor 23. Banknotes BL are conveyed.

In the process of approaching the exit position Pout (the exit roller 16), the conveyed banknote BL causes the lever member 24a of the exit sensor 24 to gradually swing from the stopper position against the urging force of the torsion spring 24b. to the retracted position before reaching Then, as shown in FIG. 6E and enlarged in FIG. 7A, the conveyed banknote BL passes through the outlet position Pout (outlet roller 16) while the lever member 24a is maintained at the retracted position.

In the state where the lever member 24a is at the retracted position (see FIG. 7A) due to the conveyed banknotes BL passing the exit position Pout as described above, the detector main body 24c receives an ON signal due to the influence of the lever member 24a. (first state detection signal) is output. It can be confirmed that the bill BL is passing through the exit position Pout by the ON signal from the detector main body 24c.

Further, when the banknote BL is conveyed and the rear end of the banknote BL passes the exit position Pout as shown in FIG. 6F and enlarged in FIG. 7B, the lever member 24a and the banknote BL are disengaged. , the biasing force of the torsion spring 24b causes the lever member 24a at the retracted position to swing back to the stopper position. When the lever member 24a returns from the retracted position (see FIG. 7A) to the stopper position (see FIG. 7B) in this manner, the detector main body 24c is no longer affected by the lever member 24a, and the OFF signal (second state detection signal) ). By the OFF signal from the detector body 24c, it can be confirmed that the trailing edge of the bill BL has passed the exit position Pout (outlet roller 16).

When the detection signal of the detector body 24c of the outlet sensor 24 changes from ON to OFF and it is confirmed that the trailing edge of the bill BL has passed the outlet position Pout (outlet roller 16), the motor 50 is reversed. Switch to rotation. The power of the motor 50 is transmitted to both the banknote conveying mechanism 10 and the banknote pushing mechanism 30 by a drive mechanism 51 coupled to the motor 50 rotating in reverse. As a result, the drive pulley 11 of the banknote transport mechanism 10 rotates in the reverse direction, the transport belt 13 reversely circulates, and the banknote pushing mechanism 30 performs the pushing operation. By the pushing operation of the banknote pushing mechanism 30, banknotes BL (see FIG. 7B) passed through the exit position Pout and guided by the guide member 31 are stored in the banknote storage unit 40 so as to be stacked on the support plate 41. be.

By the way, as described above, when the motor 50 is reversely rotated to operate the bill pushing mechanism 30 after the trailing edge of the bill BL has passed the exit position Pout (outlet roller 16), the conveying belt 13 is circulated in the reverse direction. Moving. The banknote BL, the rear end of which once passed through the outlet position Pout, may be returned to the outlet position Pout by the conveying belt 13 that circulates in the reverse direction. In this way, even if the banknote BL is about to be returned to the exit position Pout, the lever member 24a of the outlet sensor 24, which functions as a banknote return blocking mechanism (stopper mechanism), is at the stopper position, so that the trailing end of the banknote BL that is about to return is pushed back. 7A (see FIG. 7B), the banknote BL returns to the exit position Pout and is prevented from being caught in the exit roller 16. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the banknote BL can be reliably accommodated in the banknote accommodating section 40 by the pushing operation of the banknote pushing mechanism 30 without causing a banknote jam.

In the control system of the banknote storage device 100 described above, as shown in FIG. It controls forward/reverse rotation and stoppage of a motor 50 that serves as a common power source for both the transport mechanism 10 and bill pushing mechanism 30 . The processing unit 60 causes the banknote storage device 100 to perform an operation (see FIGS. 5, 6A to 6F, 7A and 7B) to store the banknotes BL inserted into the banknote slot 101 in the banknote storage section 40. , 9, 10A and 10B.

9, 10A, and 10B, the processing unit 60 performs processing for determining whether the banknote BL inserted into the banknote insertion slot 101 is genuine or counterfeit.

First, the processing unit 60 rotates the motor 50 forward when the detection signal (ON) for the bill BL is input from the input sensor 21 (see FIG. 6A). As a result, the banknotes BL inserted into the banknote insertion port 101 are conveyed toward the exit position Pout (in the forward direction) by the conveying belt 13 that moves in the normal circulation. Then, while the bill BL is passing the position of the identification sensor 22 (see FIGS. 6B and 6C), the processing unit 60 takes in detection signals from the identification sensor 22 (light receiving element 22b). Then, after the rear end of the banknote BL has passed the position of the identification sensor 22 (see FIG. 6D), the processing unit 60 temporarily stops the motor 50, and detects the banknote BL based on the received detection signal (detection information). is true or false. If the banknote BL is determined to be counterfeit, the processing unit 60 reversely rotates the motor 50 to eject the banknote BL from the banknote slot 101 . At this time, the banknote pushing mechanism 30 performs the pushing operation (idle operation) by the reverse rotation of the motor 50 in a state where there are no banknotes BL remaining after passing the exit position Pout.

If the banknote BL is determined to be legitimate, the processing unit 60 performs processing related to take-in control according to the procedure shown in FIG.

In FIG. 9, the processing unit 60 sets the internal timer T to a first predetermined time α1 (S11), starts the internal timer T (S12), and rotates the motor 50 forward (S13). The first predetermined time α1 is set to a time sufficient for the banknote BL to pass through the exit position Pout without stopping from this point (this position: see FIG. 6D), for example, about 3 seconds. When the forward rotation of the motor 50 is restarted, the banknote BL is conveyed toward the exit position Pout while passing the position of the passage sensor 23, as described above. In the process, the processing unit 60 determines whether the detection signal from the passage sensor 23 is OFF while confirming that the internal timer T set to α1 has not timed out (NO in S14). (S15).

While the banknote BL is passing the position of the passage sensor 23 (see FIGS. 6D and 6E), the processing unit 60 performs the same processing (S14, S15) so that the trailing edge of the banknote BL reaches the position of the passage sensor 23. When the passage of the position is detected based on the fact that the detection signal from the passage sensor 23 has turned OFF (YES in S15), the detection signal from the exit sensor 24 (detector main body 24c) is also OFF. (S16). In this case, as shown in FIG. 6E, the front end of the banknote BL reaches the outlet position Pout before the trailing end of the banknote BL passes the position of the passage sensor 23, so the detection signal from the passage sensor 23 is OFF. (YES in S15), the detection signal from the exit sensor 24 is ON. Therefore, the processing unit 60 determines that the detection signal of the exit sensor 24 is not OFF, that is, the bill BL has not passed through the exit position Pout (NO in S16). Thereafter, the processing unit 60 confirms that the internal timer T has not timed out (NO in S14), that the detection signal from the passage sensor 23 is OFF (YES in S15), and that the detection signal from the exit sensor 24 is It is repeatedly confirmed that it is not OFF (NO in S16).

In the process, the banknote BL continues to be conveyed forward while passing the exit position Pout. Then, when the trailing edge of the banknote BL passes the outlet position Pout and the detection signal from the outlet sensor 24 is turned OFF (YES in S16), the processing unit 60 stops the motor 50 (S17). At this point, the banknote BL is ready to be accommodated in the banknote accommodation unit 40 with the trailing end passing through the exit position Pout as shown in FIGS. 6F and 7B.

After stopping the motor 50 (S17), the processing unit 60 performs processing related to banknote stack control according to the procedure shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B.

In FIG. 10A, the processing unit 60 sets the depression flag to ON (S21), and reversely rotates the motor 50 (S22: operation switching control section). As a result, the banknote push-in mechanism 30 starts the push-in operation as described above. After that, the processing unit 60 confirms that the detection signal from the exit sensor 24 is not ON (NO in S23), and then confirms that the push-in flag is set to ON (YES in S24). It is determined whether or not the detection signal from the sensor 25 is ON, that is, whether or not the pushing plate 32 of the pushing mechanism 30 is lowered to push the bill BL guided by the guide member 31 (S25). ). Thereafter, the processing unit 60 repeats similar confirmations (S24, S25). Then, when the push plate 32 of the bill pushing mechanism 30 descends and pushes in the bills stacked on the support plate 41, and the detection signal from the stack sensor 25 turns ON (YES in S25), the processing unit 60 , the push flag is rewritten to OFF (S26), and it is repeatedly confirmed that the push flag is OFF (NO at S24) and that the stack sensor 25 is not OFF (NO at S27). In this state, the push plate 32 of the banknote push-in mechanism 30 is moving upward, and when the push plate 32 reaches the prescribed initial position (see FIG. 4), the detection signal from the stack sensor 25 is turned off. When the processing unit 60 confirms that the detection signal from the stack sensor 25 has turned off (YES in S27), it stops the motor 50 (S28) and waits for the next bill BL to be inserted.

As described above, the processing unit 60 performs the processing related to the take-in control (see FIG. 9) and the processing related to the stack control (FIG. 10A), so that the banknote inserted into the slot 101 is judged to be legitimate. The banknotes BL are stored in the banknote storage unit 40 .

In the course of the processing related to the intake control shown in FIG. 9, even if the internal timer T expires (YES in S14), if it cannot be confirmed that the detection signal from the passage sensor 23 is OFF, that is, the first If the detection signal of the passing sensor 23 is maintained in the ON state even after the predetermined time α1 (for example, 3 seconds) has passed (NO in S15, YES in S14, NO in S18), the processing unit 60 50 is stopped (S19), and it is assumed that the banknotes BL are jammed in the conveying path CV (banknote jam), and predetermined banknote jam processing is performed.

In addition, when the internal timer T times out (YES in S14) in the course of the process related to the take-in control shown in FIG. Although it was confirmed that the banknote BL passed the position of the sensor 23 (YES in S15, YES in S18), the detection signal from the outlet sensor 24 is OFF, that is, the trailing edge of the banknote BL has passed the outlet position Pout. If it cannot be confirmed (NO in S16), the processing unit 60 stops the motor 50 (S17), and proceeds to the process related to the banknote stack control shown in FIG. 10A as in the normal state. In this case, since the detection signal from the exit sensor 24 is ON, the bill BL is jammed while passing the exit position Pout, for example, the bill BL is caught on the lever member 24a of the exit sensor 24. , is assumed.

In FIG. 10A, the processing unit 60 turns ON the depression flag (S21) and reversely rotates the motor 50 (S22: forced operation control section), as described above. As a result, the transport belt 13 of the banknote transport mechanism 10 starts reverse circulation movement, and the banknote pushing mechanism 30 starts pushing operation. At this point, the detection signal from the exit sensor 24 is ON (YES in S23), so the processing unit 60 shifts to the process shown in FIG. For example, it is determined whether or not the number of pulses output from an encoder attached to the motor 50 has reached a specified number (S29). This specified number corresponds to the time (second predetermined time) during which the banknote pushing mechanism 30 is slightly operated in consideration of the pulse cycle. When the processing unit 60 determines that the number of pulses generated in synchronization with the rotation of the motor 50 has reached the specified number (YES in S29), the processing unit 60 stops the motor 50 (S30: forced operation control section). As a result, the pushing operation of the banknote pushing mechanism 30 stops.

After that, the processing unit 60 sets a predetermined time T2 (for example, 100 ms) in the internal timer T (S31), starts the timer T (S32), and determines whether the timer T times up. (S33). When it is determined that the timer T has expired after the predetermined time α2 has elapsed since the motor 50 stopped (YES in S33), the processing unit 60 determines whether the detection signal from the exit sensor 24 is ON. (S34). Here, if the detection signal from the outlet sensor 24 is not ON (if it is OFF) (NO in S34), the processing unit 60 assumes that the trailing edge of the banknote BL has passed the outlet position Pout, and returns to FIG. 10A. Then, the motor 50 is reversely rotated again (S22: reverse operation return control unit). After that, the processing unit 60 performs the same processing as the processing (S23 to S28) related to banknote stack control in the normal state. As a result, the banknote pushing mechanism 30 performs a pushing operation, and the banknote BL is accommodated in the banknote accommodation section 40 .

If the detection signal from the exit sensor 24 remains ON even if the motor 50 is slightly reversed (YES in S34), for example, the exit sensor 24 is abnormal, or the banknote BL is detected by the exit sensor. 24, the processing unit 60 performs a predetermined abnormality processing.

According to the processing related to the intake control (see FIG. 9) and the processing related to the banknote stack control (see FIGS. 10A and 10B) by the processing unit 60 as described above, the banknotes BL inserted into the banknote insertion slot 101 are appropriately The operations of the banknote transport mechanism 10 and the banknote push-in mechanism 30 having a single motor 50 as a common drive source can be controlled so that the banknotes can be accommodated in the banknote storage unit 40 .

Also, in particular, from the start timing of the operation of conveying the bill BL until it passes the exit position Pout without stopping the bill BL (for example, the start timing of the conveying operation of the bill BL restarted after recognition of the authenticity of the bill BL), the first Even after a predetermined time α1 (for example, 3 seconds) has elapsed, the outlet sensor 24 is in a state (ON) in which the banknote BL is being passed, and the trailing edge of the banknote BL has passed the outlet position Pout. When the fact (OFF) is not detected, the banknote pushing mechanism 30 is made to perform the pushing operation for a short period of time. For this reason, it is possible to forcibly eliminate the fact that the banknote BL is stuck at the exit position Pout, etc., and the operating rate of the banknote storage device 100 can be improved.

Further, the exit sensor 24 is a bill return sensor that prevents the bill BL whose trailing end has passed the exit position Pout from returning to the exit position Pout due to the reverse circulation movement of the conveyor belt 13 when the motor 50 rotates in the reverse direction. Since it also has the function of a blocking mechanism (stopper mechanism), it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the device.

For example, a banknote return prevention mechanism (stopper mechanism) composed of the lever member 24a of the exit sensor 24 and the torsion spring 24b may be provided separately from the exit sensor 24. FIG. Also, a plurality of banknote return blocking mechanisms (stopper mechanisms) can be provided.

The outlet sensor 24 is not limited to the structure including the lever member 24a, the torsion spring 24b, and the detector main body 24c, but may have another structure, for example, one that optically detects bills BL passing through the outlet position Pout. good.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications thereof. Various modifications are possible based on the gist of the present invention, and these are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY A banknote storage device according to the present invention has the effect of reliably storing banknotes in a banknote storage unit, and is applied to automatic vending machines, change machines, etc., and conveys banknotes inserted from a banknote slot. It is useful as a banknote storage device configured to store the banknotes in the banknote storage unit.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 banknote transport mechanism 11 drive pulley 12 driven pulley 13 transport belt 21 inlet sensor 22 identification sensor 23 passage sensor 24 outlet sensor 24a lever member 24b torsion spring 24c detector body 25 stack sensor 30 banknote pushing mechanism 31 guide member 32 push plate 33 link Mechanism 40 Banknote storage unit 41 Support plate 42 Spring 50 Motor 51 Drive mechanism 60 Processing unit 100 Banknote storage device 101 Banknote slot 102 Introduction tray 110 Apparatus body 120 Top cover part 130 Rear cover part

Claims (2)

having a device main body, an upper cover portion and a rear cover portion,
a banknote transport mechanism for transporting banknotes inserted from a banknote slot along a transport path;
a banknote push-in mechanism that performs a pushing operation for accommodating a banknote, the rear end portion of which has passed through the exit position of the transport path, into the banknote storage portion;
a power source provided in common for both the banknote transport mechanism and the banknote pushing mechanism and capable of forward and reverse operations;
The banknote transport mechanism is coupled to the power source so that, when the power source operates in the forward direction, the banknotes are transported in the positive direction from the banknote insertion port toward the exit position without operating the banknote pushing mechanism. is driven in the forward direction, and when the power source operates in the reverse direction, the banknote feeding mechanism is reversely driven so that the banknotes are conveyed in the opposite direction from the exit position to the banknote insertion port, and the banknote pushing mechanism is moved to the A banknote storage device comprising a drive mechanism for performing a pushing operation,
a banknote return prevention mechanism that prevents a banknote whose trailing end portion has passed through the exit position from returning to the exit position due to the reverse driving of the banknote transport mechanism when the power source operates in the reverse direction;
The bill return prevention mechanism includes a lever member that swings between a retracted position that does not hinder movement of the bill and a stopper position that prevents the bill from returning to the outlet position, and the lever member maintains the stopper position. and a biasing mechanism for applying a biasing force to the lever member so that the bill conveyed by the bill conveying mechanism driven in the forward direction reaches the exit position before the bill conveyed reaches the stopper position. The lever member is moved to the retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism, and after the trailing end of the bill has passed the outlet position, the lever member is moved by the biasing force of the biasing mechanism. When the lever member is at the retracted position, a first state detection signal is output, and when the lever member is at the stopper position, the second state is different from the first state. A banknote storage device , comprising a detector that outputs a detection signal of the state of (1) . An exit roller included in the banknote transport mechanism is provided in the rear cover part such that a part thereof protrudes from the inner surface of the rear cover part,
2. The banknote storage device according to claim 1, wherein said exit roller is arranged to face a position immediately before the conveying belt is unhooked from a driving pulley in said device main body.

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