JP7521445B2 - Coin Processing Device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a coin processing device.

Conventionally, coin processing devices have been known to deposit coins by sorting inserted coins one by one and storing them in a storage unit according to their denomination, and to dispense coins by paying out and ejecting the coins stored in the storage unit one by one.

Among such coin processing devices, there are some that can deposit (store) and withdraw (discharge) six denominations of 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen as designated denominations. There are also some that can deposit and withdraw four of the six denominations as designated denominations, and return the remaining two denominations by discharging them without storing them when they are inserted (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 4117124

In conventional coin processing devices, if all six denominations were to be stored (deposited), storage cabinets for all six denominations would be required, resulting in a large size. For this reason, for example, in small stores that use ticket vending machines, it was difficult to install a coin processing device that could store all six denominations as a settlement machine to replace the ticket vending machine.

On the other hand, in conventional coin processing devices, the size can be reduced by reducing the number of denominations that can be stored (i.e., the number of designated denominations). However, in this case, it goes without saying that coins other than the designated denominations cannot be stored, which reduces convenience.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a coin processing device that can be made smaller without reducing the number of denominations that can be stored.

In order to solve such problems, the coin processing device of the present invention includes an insertion port into which coins are inserted, an identification unit that identifies the coins inserted into the insertion port, a designated denomination sorting unit that sorts out coins that are identified by the identification unit as being normal coins of a designated denomination from among the coins inserted into the insertion port, a denomination-specific storage box that stores normal coins of a designated denomination sorted by the designated denomination sorting unit by denomination, a non-designated denomination sorting unit that sorts out coins that are identified by the identification unit as being normal coins of a designated denomination from among the coins inserted into the insertion port, a discharge port that releases coins, a collection box that stores coins to be collected, and a temporary storage sorting unit that sorts the coins sorted by the non-designated denomination sorting unit to either the discharge port or a temporary storage unit that temporarily stores the coins and releases the temporarily stored coins to the discharge port or stores them in the collection box.

In this way, coins of the specified denomination that are inserted are stored in a denomination-specific storage vault, while coins of non-specified denominations that are inserted are temporarily stored in a temporary storage section provided separately from the denomination-specific storage vault, and then sorted to the release outlet if they are returned, or to the recovery vault if they are stored. This allows the machine to be made smaller without reducing the number of denominations that can be stored, compared to, for example, a case in which denomination-specific storage vaults are provided for all denominations.

The present invention aims to propose a coin processing device that can be made smaller without reducing the number of denominations that can be stored.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the coin processing device. FIG. 2 is a top view showing the internal configuration of the coin processing device. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the internal configuration of the coin processing device. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the internal configuration of the coin processing device.

Below, the form for implementing the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiment) will be explained with reference to the drawings.

[1. Configuration of the coin processing device]
1 shows the external appearance of a coin processing device 1. This coin processing device 1 is a device capable of depositing and dispensing coins, and has a box-shaped device housing 2. Of the surfaces forming the device housing 2, the surface facing the user is referred to as the front surface 2a, the surface opposite thereto is referred to as the rear surface 2b, the surface on the left side as viewed from the user is referred to as the left side surface 2c, the surface opposite thereto is referred to as the right side surface 2d, the upper surface is referred to as the top surface 2e, and the surface opposite thereto is referred to as the bottom surface 2f.

The device housing 2 is box-shaped and is longer in the vertical direction than in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and has an input port 10 for inserting coins, located toward the left of the top surface 2e. When depositing coins into the coin processing device 1, the user inserts coins into this input port 10. The device housing 2 also has an ejection port 11, located at the top of the front surface 2a, from which coins are ejected. When depositing coins, the coin processing device 1 ejects from this ejection port 11 those coins inserted into the input port 10 that are to be returned to the user. When withdrawing coins, the coin processing device 1 ejects from this ejection port 11 a specified amount of coins.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the coin processing device 1 is connected to a terminal device having a display unit and an operation unit, and on the terminal device, the user can confirm the amount inserted into the coin processing device 1 and confirm the deposit, and can specify the amount to be withdrawn from the coin processing device 1.

Next, the internal configuration of the coin processing device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a top view of the coin processing device 1, with the top surface 2e of the device housing 2 being seen through so that the internal configuration can be seen. Figure 3 is a front view of the coin processing device 1, with the front surface 2a of the device housing 2 being seen through so that the internal configuration can be seen. Figure 4 is a left side view of the coin processing device 1, with the left side surface 2c of the device housing 2 being seen through so that the internal configuration can be seen.

Inside the device housing 2, a roughly cylindrical insertion port 10 is provided at the top end. Specifically, the insertion port 10 is provided in the center in the front-to-rear direction at the top end inside the device housing 2, near the left side surface 2c, and as shown in FIG. 1, is exposed from the top surface 2e of the device housing 2, allowing the user to easily insert coins.

Downstream of the coin transport direction of this slot 10, there is provided a payout unit 12 that pays out coins inserted into the slot 10 to the transport path 13. Specifically, the payout unit 12 is located to the left of the bottom of the slot 10 (in other words, at the center in the front-to-rear direction and the left end at the top end inside the device housing 2).

The transport path 13 extends almost horizontally from the payout unit 12 along the outer circumferential surface of the device housing 2. Specifically, the transport path 13 is composed of a first portion 13a extending from the payout unit 12 to the front surface 2a along the left side surface 2c of the device housing 2, a second portion 13b extending from the end (front end) of the first portion 13a to the right side surface 2d along the front surface 2a of the device housing 2, a third portion 13c extending from the end (right end) of the second portion 13b to the rear surface 2b along the right side surface 2d, and a fourth portion 13d extending from the end (rear end) of the third portion 13c to the left side surface 2c along the rear surface 2b.

A conveyor belt (not shown) is arranged on this conveyor path 13, and the coins dispensed from the coin slot 10 by the dispenser 12 are conveyed along the conveyor path 13 by this conveyor belt.

The recognition unit 14 is disposed in the second portion 13b of the conveying path 13, which is located downstream in the coin conveying direction from the first portion 13a. The recognition unit 14 has the function of identifying the denomination of the coin conveyed along the conveying path 13 and determining whether or not it is a normal coin. Note that a coin that is identified as being abnormal and not normal is called a rejected coin.

Furthermore, the second portion 13b is provided with a reject gate 15 for sorting rejected coins at a position downstream of the recognition unit 14 in the coin transport direction (i.e., to the right of the recognition unit 14). The reject gate 15 can be opened and closed by the operation of a solenoid (not shown). When closed, the coins transported along the transport path 13 are allowed to continue along the transport path 13, and when open, the coins transported along the transport path 13 are sorted (dropped) into a chute 16 located below the reject gate 15.

A first denomination-specific gate 21 is provided in the third portion 13c, which is located downstream in the coin transport direction from the second portion 13b of the transport path 13, and a second denomination-specific gate 22 is further provided in this third portion 13c at a position downstream in the coin transport direction from the first denomination-specific gate 21 (i.e., behind the first denomination-specific gate 21).

Furthermore, a third denomination-specific gate 23 is provided in a fourth portion 13d located downstream in the coin transport direction from the third portion 13c of the transport path 13, and a fourth denomination-specific gate 24 is provided at the end of this fourth portion 13d downstream in the coin transport direction from the third denomination-specific gate 23 (i.e., to the left of the third denomination-specific gate 23).

The first denomination-specific gate 21, the second denomination-specific gate 22, the third denomination-specific gate 23, and the fourth denomination-specific gate 24 are gates for distributing coins of designated denominations (more specifically, normal coins of the designated denominations) by denomination, and below each of them are provided the first denomination-specific storage vault 31, the second denomination-specific storage vault 32, the third denomination-specific storage vault 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage vault 34, which store coins of the designated denominations by denomination. Note that the designated denominations in the coin processing device 1 are denominations that can be both deposited and withdrawn, whereas undesignated denominations are denominations that can only be deposited.

The first denomination-specific gate 21, the second denomination-specific gate 22, the third denomination-specific gate 23, and the fourth denomination-specific gate 24, like the reject gate 15, can be opened and closed by the operation of a solenoid (not shown). When closed, they allow coins transported along the transport path 13 to continue transporting along the transport path 13, and when open, they sort (drop) coins transported along the transport path 13 into the first denomination-specific storage vault 31, the second denomination-specific storage vault 32, the third denomination-specific storage vault 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage vault 34 located below them.

In addition, in the coin processing device 1, any four of the six denominations of 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen can be set as designated denominations, and the remaining two denominations can be set as non-designated denominations. In other words, the first denomination-specific gate 21 is associated with one of the four designated denominations, and among the coins transported along the transport path 13, the first denomination-specific gate 21 is arranged to distribute coins that are identified by the identification unit 14 as coins of the corresponding designated denomination to the first denomination-specific storage box 31 located below. Similarly, the second denomination-specific gate 22, the third denomination-specific gate 23, and the fourth denomination-specific gate 24 are arranged to distribute coins that are identified by the identification unit 14 as coins of the corresponding designated denomination to the second denomination-specific storage box 32, the third denomination-specific storage box 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage box 34 located below, respectively. In this way, the first denomination-specific storage vault 31, the second denomination-specific storage vault 32, the third denomination-specific storage vault 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage vault 34 store coins of the corresponding designated denominations. The coins of the designated denominations sorted by the first denomination-specific gate 21, the second denomination-specific gate 22, the third denomination-specific gate 23, and the fourth denomination-specific gate 24 are guided by chutes (not shown) to the first denomination-specific storage vault 31, the second denomination-specific storage vault 32, the third denomination-specific storage vault 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage vault 34.

The first denomination-specific storage vault 31, the second denomination-specific storage vault 32, the third denomination-specific storage vault 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage vault 34 are each designed to store coins entering from the upper opening (i.e. coins of the designated denomination sorted by the first denomination-specific gate 21, the second denomination-specific gate 22, the third denomination-specific gate 23, and the fourth denomination-specific gate 24) in an internal storage space, and have a coin storage capacity capable of storing, for example, about 300 coins of the designated denomination.

The first denomination-specific storage cabinet 31, the second denomination-specific storage cabinet 32, the third denomination-specific storage cabinet 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage cabinet 34 are arranged so that their positions in the vertical direction are approximately equal, but their positions in the front, back, left, and right directions are different. In other words, the first to fourth denomination-specific storage cabinets 31 to 34 are arranged side by side in the depth and width directions of the device housing 2.

On the other hand, of the six denominations, the two non-designated denominations other than the four designated denominations are diverted to chute 16 by reject gate 15. In other words, reject gate 15 is configured to distribute, among the coins transported along transport path 13, coins that have been identified by recognition unit 14 as rejected coins and coins of non-designated denominations (more specifically, normal coins of non-designated denominations) to chute 16.

The chute 16 is a guide with a fan-shaped opening, with the lower opening larger in the left-right direction than the upper opening, and has a sorting blade 40 inside to sort rejected coins and coins of non-designated denominations. The sorting blade 40 can be rotated by the operation of a solenoid (not shown) to switch between a position where it forms a route 16a (hereinafter referred to as the reject route 16a) connecting the upper opening and the left half of the lower opening, and a position where it forms a route 16b (hereinafter referred to as the temporary holding route 16b) connecting the upper opening and the right half of the lower opening.

The discharge port 11 is provided at the bottom left of the chute 16 (i.e., below the left half of the lower opening, beyond the reject route 16a). In other words, of the coins sorted into the chute 16, rejected coins pass through the reject route 16a formed by the sorting blade 40 and are sorted (fall) into the discharge port 11.

The coin outlet 11 is generally dish-shaped and is located at approximately the center in the left-right direction at the front end inside the device housing 2, near the top surface 2e. As shown in FIG. 1, the coin outlet 11 is exposed from the front surface 2a of the device housing 2, allowing the user to easily remove the coins that have been dispensed.

On the other hand, a temporary storage section 41 for temporarily storing non-designated denominations is provided at the bottom right of the chute 16 (i.e., below the right half of the lower opening, at the end of the temporary storage route 16b). In other words, of the coins sorted to the chute 16, coins of non-designated denominations are sorted (fall) into the temporary storage section 41 through the temporary storage route 16b formed by the sorting blade 40.

The temporary storage section 41 is located between the chute 16 and the discharge port 11 in the vertical direction, and the discharge port 11 is located near the bottom left of the temporary storage section 41.

The temporary holding unit 41 is designed to store coins entering from the upper opening (i.e., coins of non-designated denominations that have passed through the temporary holding route 16b) in its internal storage space, and has a coin storage capacity that can store, for example, about 30 coins of non-designated denominations. The temporary holding unit 41 is designed to store two non-designated denominations (for example, 1 yen and 5 yen denominations) together, but since it only stores them temporarily when depositing money, the coin storage capacity and size are sufficiently smaller than those of the first denomination-specific storage vault 31, etc.

The temporary holding section 41 also has a return gate 43 and a storage gate 44 for distributing temporarily held coins (i.e. coins of non-designated denominations) to either the discharge port 11 or the recovery box 42. The return gate 43 can open and close the left half of the opening on the lower side of the temporary holding section 41 by the operation of a solenoid (not shown). On the other hand, the storage gate 44 can open and close the right half of the opening on the lower side of the temporary holding section 41 by the operation of a solenoid (not shown).

By opening the return gate 43 on the left side while keeping the storage gate 44 on the right side closed, the temporary storage section 41 connects the left half of the lower opening of the temporary storage section 41 to the return route 45a that continues to the discharge port 11. At this time, the storage gate 44 on the right side is inclined toward the return route 45a, and functions as a guide that guides the coins stored in the temporary storage section 41 to the return route 45a. The return route 45a is also formed by the return chute 46 that acts as a guide that is inclined toward the discharge port 11. Therefore, the coins stored in the temporary storage section 41 at this time are guided by the storage gate 44 and the return chute 46 and distributed (fall) to the discharge port 11.

In addition, by opening the right storage gate 44 while keeping the left return gate 43 closed, the right half of the opening on the lower side of the temporary holding section 41 is connected to the storage route 45b leading to the recovery box 42. At this time, the left return gate 43 is inclined toward the storage route 45b and functions as a guide to guide the coins stored in the temporary holding section 41 to the storage route 45b. The storage route 45b is also formed by the storage chute 47 which serves as a guide extending downward toward the recovery box 42. Therefore, the coins stored in the temporary holding section 41 are guided by the return gate 43 and the storage chute 47 and sorted (fall) into the recovery box 42.

The collection box 42 is located at the bottom of the device housing 2 and is configured to store coins to be collected from the coin processing device 1. This collection box 42 is sized to be able to store a sufficiently large number of coins compared to the first denomination-specific storage box 31 and the temporary holding section 41, so that both designated and undesignated denominations can be collected. The device housing 2 has, for example, a front side 2a that serves as an openable and closable door, and the collection box 42 can be accessed by opening this door.

A first storage cabinet payout unit 51 is provided at the bottom end of the first denomination-specific storage cabinet 31, which pays out the coins stored in the first denomination-specific storage cabinet 31 one by one. Similarly, a second storage cabinet payout unit 52, a third storage cabinet payout unit 53, and a fourth storage cabinet payout unit 54 are provided at the bottom ends of the second denomination-specific storage cabinet 32, the third denomination-specific storage cabinet 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage cabinet 34, respectively.

Inside the device housing 2, a payout conveyor belt 60 is provided that extends in the front-to-rear direction below the first denomination-specific storage cabinet 31, the second denomination-specific storage cabinet 32, the third denomination-specific storage cabinet 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage cabinet 34.

The first storage unit payout section 51, the second storage unit payout section 52, the third storage unit payout section 53, and the fourth storage unit payout section 54 each extend from the lower end of the first denomination-specific storage unit 31, the second denomination-specific storage unit 32, the third denomination-specific storage unit 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage unit 34 to the left or right side of the payout conveyor belt 60, and are configured to release coins paid out from the first denomination-specific storage unit 31, the second denomination-specific storage unit 32, the third denomination-specific storage unit 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage unit 34 onto the payout conveyor belt 60 from the left or right side of the payout conveyor belt 60.

The top surface of the payout conveyor belt 60 travels forward, thereby conveying forward coins (i.e. coins of the specified denomination) paid out from each of the first storage cabinet payout section 51, the second storage cabinet payout section 52, the third storage cabinet payout section 53, and the fourth storage cabinet payout section 54.

In front of the delivery conveyor belt 60, a coin pool 61 is provided to distribute the coins conveyed from the delivery conveyor belt 60 to either the discharge port 11 or the collection box 42. The coin pool 61 is designed to temporarily pool the coins entering through the upper opening (i.e., the coins conveyed from the delivery conveyor belt 60).

The coin pool 61 has a sorting conveyor belt 62 extending in the left-right direction at its bottom. The coin pool 61 also has a withdrawal unit 63 at the bottom left side that pays out the pooled coins one by one to send them to the discharge port 11, and a collection gate 64 at the bottom right side that distributes the pooled coins to the collection box 42.

When the coin pool 61 sends out the pooled coins to the discharge port 11, the coin pool 61 sends the pooled coins to the withdrawal payout section 63 on the left side by running the upper surface of the sorting conveyor belt 62 in one direction (specifically, to the left), and the pooled coins are paid out one by one by the withdrawal payout section 63. To the left of the coin pool 61, a withdrawal conveyor belt 65 is provided as a withdrawal conveyor section for transporting the coins paid out one by one from the coin pool 61 upward. The coins paid out one by one from the left side of the coin pool 61 are transported upward by this withdrawal conveyor belt 65 and are discharged to the discharge port 11. Note that, although the withdrawal conveyor belt 65 is used here as a withdrawal conveyor section for transporting coins from the coin pool 61 to the discharge port 11, this is not limiting, and a withdrawal conveyor section composed of rollers, a lift, etc. may also be used.

When the coin pool 61 distributes the pooled coins to the collection box 42, a collection gate 64 is opened by the operation of a solenoid (not shown), thereby opening an opening provided at the lower right side of the coin pool 61. Furthermore, the coin pool 61 releases the pooled coins from the right opening by running the top surface of the sorting conveyor belt 62 in the other direction (specifically, to the right). A collection chute 66 is provided to the right of the coin pool 61 as a guide that guides coins released from the coin pool 61 to the collection box 42 located below the coin pool 61. The coins released from the right side of the coin pool 61 are guided by the collection chute 66 and distributed (fall) into the collection box 42.

In this way, the coin pool 61 pools coins (i.e., coins of a specified denomination) dispensed from each of the first storage cabinet payout unit 51, the second storage cabinet payout unit 52, the third storage cabinet payout unit 53, and the fourth storage cabinet payout unit 54, and sends the pooled coins to the discharge port 11 or stores them in the recovery cabinet 42. Note that since the coin pool 61 only temporarily pools coins at the time of withdrawal, etc., its coin storage capacity and size are sufficiently smaller than those of the first denomination-specific storage cabinet 31, etc.

In addition, a control unit 70 is provided at a predetermined position inside the device housing 2 (for example, to the left of the collection box 42), which controls the entire coin processing device 1, stores various information, and communicates with external terminal devices.

The collection vault 42 may store coins of the four designated denominations and the two non-designated denominations together without distinction, or, as shown in FIG. 3, the interior of the collection vault 42 may be divided into a first portion 42a and a second portion 42b, with the designated denomination coins stored in the first portion 42a and the non-designated denomination coins stored in the second portion 42b.

In this case, for example, the first part 42a of the collection box 42 may be placed below the collection chute 66 into which coins of the designated denomination fall, and the second part 42b may be placed below the storage chute 47 into which coins of non-designated denominations fall. The configuration of the coin processing device 1 is as described above.

2. Operation of the coin processing device
Next, the operation of the coin processing device 1 will be described. Here, the operations of the coin processing device 1, including the deposit operation, the withdrawal operation, and the recovery operation, will be described. First, the deposit operation will be described. The operations of the coin processing device 1 are controlled by the control unit 70.

When depositing coins, the user inserts the coins they wish to deposit into the coin slot 10. The coins inserted into the coin slot 10 are dispensed one by one at intervals by the dispenser 12 and sent out onto the conveying path 13. The coins sent out onto the conveying path 13 are transported by a conveying belt (not shown), and the recognition unit 14 identifies the denomination and whether the coin is normal or abnormal.

If the inserted coin is identified as an abnormal coin by the recognition unit 14 (i.e., is identified as a rejected coin), the control unit 70 opens the reject gate 15, which is located downstream of the recognition unit 14 in the coin transport direction, and rotates the sorting blade 40 of the chute 16, which is located below the reject gate 15, to a position that forms the reject route 16a. As a result, the rejected coin passes through the reject route 16a from the transport path 13 and is sorted (falls) into the discharge port 11.

In this way, the coin processing device 1 is configured to return to the user any rejected coins that are determined to be abnormal among the coins inserted by the user by releasing them through the release port 11.

On the other hand, when the inserted coin is determined by the recognition unit 14 to be a normal coin of the designated denomination, the control unit 70 opens the denomination-specific gate corresponding to the designated denomination determined by the recognition unit 14 out of the four denomination-specific gates (first denomination-specific gate 21, second denomination-specific gate 22, third denomination-specific gate 23, fourth denomination-specific gate 24) located downstream of the reject gate 15 in the coin transport direction while keeping the reject gate 15 closed. As a result, normal coins of the designated denomination are stored in the denomination-specific storage vault corresponding to the designated denomination determined by the recognition unit 14 out of the four denomination-specific storage vaults (first denomination-specific storage vault 31, second denomination-specific storage vault 32, third denomination-specific storage vault 33, fourth denomination-specific storage vault 34).

In this way, the coin processing device 1 stores coins inserted by the user that are determined to be of the correct designated denomination in a denomination-specific storage vault that corresponds to the designated denomination determined by the recognition unit 14.

When the recognition unit 14 determines that the inserted coin is a normal coin of a non-specified denomination, the control unit 70 opens the reject gate 15 and rotates the sorting blade 40 of the chute 16 to a position that forms the temporary storage route 16b. As a result, normal coins of the non-specified denomination are sorted (fall) from the conveying path 13 through the temporary storage route 16b to the temporary storage unit 41.

In this way, the coin processing device 1 temporarily stores in the temporary storage unit 41 any coins inserted by the user that are determined to be of a normal non-designated denomination (e.g., 1 yen or 5 yen).

Here, the control unit 70 displays the deposited amount calculated based on the recognition result by the recognition unit 14 on an external terminal device. After checking the deposited amount displayed on the terminal device, the user performs an operation to confirm or cancel the deposit of the inserted coins.

When an operation to confirm the deposit of inserted coins is performed, the control unit 70 opens the storage gate 44 of the temporary storage unit 41. As a result, the coins of non-designated denominations temporarily stored in the temporary storage unit 41 are distributed to the collection box 42 via the storage route 45b and stored in the collection box 42.

In this way, the coin processing device 1 stores coins of the specified denomination inserted by the user in a denomination-specific storage vault, temporarily holds coins of non-specified denominations in the temporary holding section 41, and then stores them in the recovery vault 42 once the deposit of the inserted coins has been confirmed.

On the other hand, when an operation to cancel a deposit is performed, the control unit 70 opens the return gate 43 of the temporary holding unit 41. As a result, the coins of the non-designated denomination temporarily held in the temporary holding unit 41 are distributed to the discharge port 11 via the return route 45a and discharged from the discharge port 11.

At this time, the control unit 70 also causes the first storage unit payout unit 51, the second storage unit payout unit 52, the third storage unit payout unit 53, and the fourth storage unit payout unit 54 to pay out the same number of coins of each denomination as the number of coins of each denomination currently stored from each of the first denomination-specific storage unit 31, the second denomination-specific storage unit 32, the third denomination-specific storage unit 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage unit 34, and transports them to the coin pool 61 by the payout conveyor belt 60. Here, the control unit 70 pays out the coins pooled in the coin pool 61 by the withdrawal payout unit 63, transports them to the discharge port 11 by the withdrawal conveyor belt 65, and releases them from the discharge port 11.

In this way, when a deposit is canceled, the coin processing device 1 releases the non-designated denominations temporarily stored in the temporary storage section 41 to the discharge outlet 11, and pays out the same number of coins of each denomination as the number of coins currently stored from each of the first denomination-specific storage box 31, the second denomination-specific storage box 32, the third denomination-specific storage box 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage box 34, and sends them out to the discharge outlet 11 by the coin pool 61, thereby returning the inserted coins of the non-designated denomination and the designated denomination to the user. The deposit operation is as described above.

Next, the operation of dispensing will be described. When dispensing coins, the user specifies, for example, the number of coins of each designated denomination to be dispensed on the terminal device. The control unit 70 recognizes the number of coins of each designated denomination to be dispensed via the terminal device, and causes the first storage box payout unit 51, the second storage box payout unit 52, the third storage box payout unit 53, and the fourth storage box payout unit 54 to dispense the number of coins specified for each designated denomination from each of the first denomination-specific storage box 31, the second denomination-specific storage box 32, the third denomination-specific storage box 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage box 34, and conveys them to the coin pool 61 by the payout conveyor belt 60. Here, the control unit 70 dispenses the coins pooled in the coin pool 61 by the payout payout unit 63, conveys them to the discharge port 11 by the payout conveyor belt 65, and dispenses them from the discharge port 11, thereby dispensing the coins. The withdrawal process is as above.

Next, the collection operation will be described. When collecting coins, the user instructs the collection of coins on the terminal device, for example. When the control unit 70 recognizes that the collection of coins has been instructed via the terminal device, the first storage unit payout unit 51, the second storage unit payout unit 52, the third storage unit payout unit 53, and the fourth storage unit payout unit 54 pay out coins stored in the first denomination-specific storage unit 31, the second denomination-specific storage unit 32, the third denomination-specific storage unit 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage unit 34 one by one, and transports them to the coin pool 61 by the payout conveyor belt 60. Here, the control unit 70 opens the collection gate 64 and runs the sorting conveyor belt 62 to the right, thereby sending (dropping) the coins pooled in the coin pool 61 to the collection unit 42 through the collection chute 66. As a result, coins of the specified denominations stored in the first denomination-specific storage vault 31, the second denomination-specific storage vault 32, the third denomination-specific storage vault 33, and the fourth denomination-specific storage vault 34 are stored in the collection vault 42. Note that coins of non-designated denominations have already been stored in the collection vault 42 at the time of deposit. Therefore, at this point, all coins of the specified denomination and non-designated denominations are stored in the collection vault 42, and this collection vault 42 is then collected by the user. The collection operation is as described above.

[3. Summary and Effects]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the coin processing device 1 includes the insertion slot 10 into which coins are inserted, the recognition unit 14 that identifies coins inserted into the insertion slot 10, the first to fourth denomination-specific gates 21 to 24 as a designated denomination sorting unit that sorts coins that have been identified by the recognition unit 14 as being normal coins of a designated denomination from the coins inserted into the insertion slot 10, the first to fourth denomination-specific storage vaults 31 to 34 that store, by denomination, the normal coins of the designated denomination sorted by the first to fourth denomination-specific gates 21 to 24, and the recognition unit 14 that sorts the coins inserted into the insertion slot 10. The coin reel is provided with a reject gate 15 as a non-designated denomination sorting section that sorts coins identified by the reject gate 15 as coins other than normal coins of the designated denomination (normal non-designated denomination coins and rejected coins), a discharge port 11 that discharges coins, a collection box 42 that stores coins to be collected, and a sorting blade 40 as a temporary storage sorting section that sorts the coins sorted by the reject gate 15 to either the discharge port 11 or a temporary storage section 41 that temporarily stores the coins and either releases the temporarily stored coins to the discharge port 11 or stores them in the collection box 42.

The sorting blade 40 sorts, among the coins sorted by the reject gate 15, those that are identified as abnormal coins to the discharge port 11, and sorts those that are identified as normal coins of an unspecified denomination to the temporary holding section 41. Furthermore, the temporary holding section 41 stores the temporarily held coins in the recovery box 42 when the deposit of the inserted coins is confirmed, and releases the temporarily held coins to the discharge port 11 when the deposit of the inserted coins is canceled.

The coin processing device 1 of this embodiment stores coins of specified denominations that are inserted in the first to fourth denomination-specific storage vaults 31 to 34, while temporarily storing coins of non-specified denominations that are inserted in a temporary storage section 41 provided separately from the first to fourth denomination-specific storage vaults 31 to 34, and then sends them to the discharge outlet 11 if they are to be returned, or to the recovery vault 42 if they are to be stored, so that all denominations can be stored (deposited).

The temporary holding section 41 for storing coins of non-designated denominations only needs to have a coin storage capacity according to the number of coins of non-designated denominations expected to be inserted in one deposit, so the coin storage capacity and size can be made sufficiently smaller than those of the first to fourth denomination-specific storage vaults 31 to 34. This allows the coin processing device 1 to be made smaller than when denomination-specific storage vaults are provided for all denominations.

Specifically, for example, if denomination-specific storage cabinets are provided for all six denominations, the inside of the device housing 2 will require enough space to arrange the six denomination-specific storage cabinets side by side, front to back and left to right. If the six denomination-specific storage cabinets were arranged vertically in addition to front to back and left to right, the layout would have to be significantly changed, and in order to ensure sufficient storage capacity for the denomination-specific storage cabinets, the overall height of the device would have to be increased to ensure space, which is expected to result in an increase in size. In contrast, in the coin processing device 1 of this embodiment, the inside of the device housing 2 only requires space to arrange four denomination-specific storage cabinets (first to fourth denomination-specific storage cabinets 31 to 34) side by side, front to back and left to right, and space to arrange one temporary holding section 41 that is sufficiently smaller than the denomination-specific storage cabinets, and the width and depth of the device housing 2 can be reduced compared to the case in which six denomination-specific storage cabinets are provided.

Thus, the coin processing device 1 can be made smaller without reducing the number of denominations that can be stored. In other words, it is possible to realize a coin processing device 1 that can store (deposit) four designated denominations and two non-designated denominations while being roughly the same size as a coin processing device that can only store (deposit) four designated denominations.

In addition, the coin processing device 1 is configured to temporarily store multiple (specifically, two) non-designated denominations together in the temporary storage section 41, so it is relatively easy to increase the number of non-designated denominations that can be stored (for example, from two to three).

4. Other embodiments
[4-1. Another embodiment 1]
In the above-mentioned embodiment, the components constituting the coin processing device 1 are arranged as shown in Figs. 2 to 4. However, the arrangement of the components may be changed within a range that can obtain the same effect as that of the coin processing device 1. For example, first to fourth escrow units (not shown) may be provided between the first to fourth denomination-specific gates 21 to 24 and the first to fourth denomination-specific storage boxes 31 to 34. In this case, the inserted coins of the designated denomination are escrowed in the first to fourth escrow units according to the denomination, and when the deposit is confirmed, the coins escrowed in the first to fourth escrow units are stored in the first to fourth denomination-specific storage boxes 31 to 34, while when the deposit is canceled, the coins escrowed in the first to fourth escrow units are discharged to the discharge port 11.

[4-2. Other embodiment 2]
In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a coin processing device 1 having a configuration capable of storing four designated denominations and two undesignated denominations was described, but this is not limited thereto, and the coin processing device may be configured to store at least one or more designated denominations and one or more undesignated denominations.

[4-3. Other embodiment 3]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the temporary storage section 41 is provided between the chute 16 located below the reject gate 15 and the discharge port 11 located below the chute 16. Without being limited to this, for example, the temporary storage section 41, the return chute 46, and the storage chute 47 may be omitted, and instead a pool chute (not shown) extending from the right half of the lower opening of the chute 16 to a coin pool 61 serving as a coin pool section may be provided, and the coin pool 61 may function as a substitute for the temporary storage section 41.

In this case, for example, when making a deposit, among the coins inserted into the coin slot 10, coins of a normal non-designated denomination are sorted by the reject gate 15 to the chute 16, and then sorted through the temporary storage route 16b formed by the sorting blade 40 and the pool chute to the coin pool 61, where they are temporarily stored.

When the deposit is confirmed, the control unit 70 opens the collection gate 64 and sends (drops) the coins temporarily held in the coin pool 61 (i.e., coins of non-designated denominations) through the collection chute 66 into the collection vault 42.

On the other hand, when a deposit is canceled, the control unit 70 pays out the coins (coins of non-designated denominations) temporarily stored in the coin pool 61 using the withdrawal payout unit 63, transports them to the discharge outlet 11 using the withdrawal conveyor belt 65, and discharges them from the discharge outlet 11. The control unit 70 also pays out the same number of coins of each denomination as the number of coins currently stored from each of the first to fourth denomination-specific storage vaults 31 to 34, transports them to the coin pool 61 using the payout conveyor belt 60, pays them out using the withdrawal payout unit 63, transports them to the discharge outlet 11 using the withdrawal conveyor belt 65, and discharges them from the discharge outlet 11.

In this way, by having the coin pool 61 function as a substitute for the temporary storage unit 41, the temporary storage unit 41 can be omitted, making it possible to further miniaturize the coin processing device 1.

[4-4. Other embodiment 4]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, coins identified by the recognition unit 14 as normal coins of a non-designated denomination and coins identified as abnormal coins (rejected coins) are separated by the reject gate 15. Without being limited to this, for example, gates may be provided at two locations on the transport path 13, and coins identified by the recognition unit 14 as normal coins of a non-designated denomination may be separated by one gate, and coins identified as abnormal coins (rejected coins) may be separated by the other gate.

[4-5. Other embodiment 5]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the coin processing device 1 is connected to a terminal device having a display unit and an operation unit, but this is not limited to the above, and for example, the coin processing device 1 may be given the functions of the terminal device (i.e., the functions of the display unit and operation unit).

[4-6. Other embodiment 6]
Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments in which the above-described embodiments and the other embodiments are combined in part or in whole in any manner, or to embodiments in which parts are extracted.

The present invention can be used, for example, in coin processing devices that deposit and withdraw coins.

1: Coin processing device, 2: Device housing, 10: Insertion port, 11: Discharge port, 12: Payout section, 13: Transport path, 14: Recognition section, 15: Reject gate, 16: Chute, 21: First denomination-specific gate, 22: Second denomination-specific gate, 23: Third denomination-specific gate, 24: Fourth denomination-specific gate, 31: First denomination-specific storage box, 32: Second denomination-specific storage box, 33: Third denomination-specific storage box, 34: Fourth denomination-specific storage box, 40: Sorting blade, 41...temporary holding section, 42...recovery storehouse, 43...return gate, 44...storage gate, 46...return chute, 47...storage chute, 51...first storage storehouse payout section, 52...second storage storehouse payout section, 53...third storage storehouse payout section, 54...fourth storage storehouse payout section, 60...payout conveyor belt, 61...coin pool, 62...sorting conveyor belt, 63...withdrawal payout section, 64...recovery gate, 65...withdrawal conveyor belt, 66...recovery chute, 70...control section.

Claims (9)

A coin slot into which coins are inserted;
An identification unit that identifies coins inserted into the coin slot;
a designated denomination sorting unit that sorts coins that have been identified as normal coins of the designated denomination by the recognition unit from among the coins inserted into the coin slot;
a denomination-specific storage vault for storing normal coins of the designated denominations sorted by the designated denomination sorting unit by denomination;
a non-designated denomination sorting unit that sorts out coins that have been identified by the recognition unit as being normal coins of a designated denomination from among the coins inserted into the coin slot;
A coin ejection port;
a collection box for storing the coins to be collected;
A coin processing device comprising: a temporary storage allocation unit that allocates coins sorted by the non-designated denomination sorting unit to either the discharge outlet or a temporary storage unit that temporarily stores the coins and either releases the temporarily stored coins to the discharge outlet or stores them in the collection box. The temporary holding allocation unit includes:
The coin processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, among the coins other than the normal coins of the specified denomination sorted by the non-designated denomination sorting section, coins identified as abnormal coins are sorted to the discharge outlet, and coins identified as normal non-designated denominations are sorted to the temporary holding section. The temporary holding unit includes:
3. The coin processing device according to claim 1, wherein the temporarily held coins are stored in the collection box when the deposit of the inserted coins is confirmed, and the temporarily held coins are released to the release port when the deposit of the inserted coins is canceled. The coin processing device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the escrow unit collectively escrows a plurality of coins of non-designated denominations. The temporary holding unit includes:
The storage unit is disposed at a position lower than the temporary storage distribution unit and higher than the discharge port and the recovery storehouse,
The coin processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coins sorted and falling by the temporary storage sorting unit are temporarily stored, and the temporarily stored coins are dropped into the discharge outlet or the collection box. a coin pool unit that pools coins fed from the denomination-specific storage boxes and sends the pooled coins to the coin outlet or stores them in the coin collection box;
The coin pool unit includes:
A coin processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that when an inserted coin is cancelled or when the coin is withdrawn, the coin dispensed from the denomination-specific storage box is sent to the discharge outlet, and when the coin is collected, the coin dispensed from the denomination-specific storage box is stored in the collection box. The collection facility includes:
The coin processing device according to claim 6, further comprising a first portion for storing coins of the designated denomination and a second portion for storing coins of a non-designated denomination. The coin pool portion is disposed below the discharge port,
The coin processing device according to claim 6, further comprising a dispensing transport section that transports coins sent out from the coin pool section to the discharge port. The coin processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that the coin pool section has a sorting conveyor belt that transports pooled coins, and the sorting conveyor belt runs in one direction to send the coins to the discharge outlet and runs in the other direction to store the coins in the collection box.

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