JP7720552B2 - Paper sheet handling equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a paper sheet processing device, and is primarily concerned with a paper sheet processing device that counts large quantities of paper sheets such as ballots and tickets, or counts up to a set number of sheets.

Various methods have been proposed to improve the efficiency of counting sheets using sheet processing devices. For example, these are disclosed in the following Prior Art Example 1 (Patent Document 1) and Prior Art Example 2 (Patent Document 2).

Among paper processing devices, a conventional example 1 of a paper counting device for counting ballots and other papers is described in Patent Document 1. This conventional example 1 includes a paper feed unit, a transport unit, and a paper recovery unit. It is configured to supply a large number of papers one by one from the paper feed unit to the transport unit, count the number of papers as they are transported, and recover them in the paper recovery unit. In such paper counting devices, transporting papers in a multi-feed or chained state (two sheets misaligned) can cause an error in the counting number and impair the basic functionality of the counting device, and must be absolutely avoided. To prevent such multi-feeds or chained paper, the conventional example 1 employs a transmissive optical sensor or the like in the transport unit to detect multi-feeds or chained paper. When multi-fed paper is detected, the device is configured to brake one of a pair of transport rollers, for example, to shift the multi-fed paper sheets apart and eliminate the multi-feed state.

In contrast to the above-mentioned conventional example 1, which separates overlapping sheets and the like during counting, a sheet counting device (conventional example 2) has been developed that, in order to maintain high-speed counting, includes a main conveying section connected to a paper feeder, and a normal paper conveying section and an abnormal paper conveying section branching off from the conveying end of the main conveying section via a switching mechanism, and when a sheet is identified as normal, it ejects the normal sheet to the normal paper conveying section, and when it is identified as abnormal, it switches to the abnormal paper conveying section and ejects the abnormal sheet to the abnormal paper conveying section. As described in Patent Document 2, the switching mechanism of this conventional example 2 is configured to operate a switching gate member using a combination of an electromagnetic solenoid valve and a return spring.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-157103 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-237781

However, in a configuration like the above-mentioned conventional example 1, where overlapping or chained sheets of paper are separated within the conveying section during counting, time and space are required for the separation process, which requires extending the conveying path of the conveying section or slowing down the conveying speed of the conveying section, which inevitably increases the size of the entire device and reduces work efficiency. In particular, in tasks that require high-speed and accurate counting, such as ballot papers, these systems may not be able to fully meet these requirements.

Furthermore, as in the above-mentioned conventional example 2, if a configuration is adopted in which normal sheets sent from the paper feed section are discharged to the normal paper transport section and abnormal sheets are discharged to the abnormal paper transport section via a switching mechanism, the operation can be continued without stopping the device even when abnormal sheets are identified, thereby improving the efficiency of the paper sheet counting operation. However, if the paper sheet storage section in either the normal paper transport section or the abnormal paper transport section becomes full, or if the set number of sheets in the paper sheet storage section in the normal paper transport section is reached, the device must be stopped and the operation must be suspended.

The object of the present invention is to provide a paper sheet processing device that can efficiently count paper sheets with minimal interruption while maintaining the compactness of the entire device.

In order to achieve the above object, the paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 includes a paper feed unit that supplies paper sheets of approximately the same shape one by one, a main transport unit that transports the paper sheets supplied from the paper feed unit and counts the paper sheets, an identification mechanism that identifies whether the paper sheets in the main transport unit are normal or abnormal, a normal paper transport unit and an abnormal paper transport unit connected to the transport end of the main transport unit via a switching mechanism, a normal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport unit, and a paper sheet storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the abnormal paper transport unit. a normal paper transport unit that connects the normal paper transport unit to the main transport unit when the paper sheet is identified as normal by the identification mechanism, and connects the abnormal paper transport unit to the main transport unit when the paper sheet is identified as abnormal, the switching mechanism comprises: a gate member that can be displaced between a normal paper identification position where the normal paper transport unit is connected to the main transport unit and an abnormal paper identification position where the abnormal paper transport unit is connected to the main transport unit; and a drive mechanism that drives the gate member;
The counting modes for counting the number of paper sheets include a standard mode in which normal paper sheets, which are paper sheets identified as normal and transported by the normal paper transport section, are stored in the normal paper storage section until a preset number of sheets is reached, and abnormal paper sheets, which are paper sheets identified as abnormal and transported by the abnormal paper transport section, are stored in the abnormal paper storage section; and a double stacker mode in which, after storing the normal paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport section in the normal paper storage section until a preset number of sheets is reached, the gate member is displaced to the abnormal paper identification position so that the device operates continuously without stopping, and subsequent normal paper sheets are transported by the abnormal paper transport section and stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the preset number of sheets .
a paper sheet presence/absence detection means for detecting the presence or absence of paper sheets stored in the normal paper storage section and the abnormal paper storage section,
In the double stacker mode, if an operator removes the paper sheets in the normal paper storage section that have reached the set number before the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the set number, and a state in which there are no paper sheets in the normal paper storage section is detected, the gate member is again displaced to the normal paper identification position so that the device can operate continuously without stopping after the abnormal paper storage section reaches the set number, and the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section by the set number,
Furthermore, at that time, if the operator removes the paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section that have reached the set number before the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section by the set number, and it is detected that there are no paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section, the gate member is displaced again to the abnormal paper identification position so that the device can operate continuously without stopping after the normal paper storage section reaches the set number, and the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the set number .

The invention of claim 2 is a paper sheet processing device comprising a paper feed unit that supplies paper sheets of approximately the same shape one by one, a main transport unit that transports the paper sheets supplied from the paper feed unit and counts the paper sheets, an identification mechanism that identifies whether the paper sheets in the main transport unit are normal or abnormal, a normal paper transport unit and an abnormal paper transport unit that are connected to a transport end of the main transport unit via a switching mechanism, a normal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport unit, and an abnormal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the abnormal paper transport unit, wherein the identification mechanism connects the normal paper transport unit to the main transport unit when the paper sheets are identified as normal, and connects the abnormal paper transport unit to the main transport unit when the paper sheets are identified as abnormal,
the switching mechanism comprises a gate member displaceable between a normal paper identification position where the normal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section and an abnormal paper identification position where the abnormal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section, and a drive mechanism that drives the gate member;
a standard mode as a counting mode for counting the number of sheets, in which normal sheets, which are sheets identified as normal and transported by the normal sheet transport unit, are stored in the normal sheet storage unit until a preset number is reached, and abnormal sheets, which are sheets identified as abnormal and transported by the abnormal sheet transport unit, are stored in the abnormal sheet storage unit;
a double stacker mode configured such that the normal paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport section are stored in the normal paper storage section until a preset number of sheets is reached, and then the gate member is displaced to the abnormal paper identification position so that the device continues to operate without stopping, and subsequent normal paper sheets are transported by the abnormal paper transport section and stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the preset number of sheets,
This paper sheet processing device is characterized in that, in the double stacker mode, when a paper sheet supplied from the paper feed unit is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, the transport of the paper sheet identified as abnormal is brought to an emergency halt within the main transport unit and a warning is displayed to the operator .

The invention of claim 3 is a paper sheet processing device comprising a paper feed unit that supplies paper sheets of approximately the same shape one by one, a main transport unit that transports the paper sheets supplied from the paper feed unit and counts the paper sheets, an identification mechanism that identifies whether the paper sheets in the main transport unit are normal or abnormal, a normal paper transport unit and an abnormal paper transport unit that are connected to a transport end of the main transport unit via a switching mechanism, a normal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport unit, and an abnormal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the abnormal paper transport unit, wherein the identification mechanism connects the normal paper transport unit to the main transport unit when the paper sheets are identified as normal, and connects the abnormal paper transport unit to the main transport unit when the paper sheets are identified as abnormal,
the switching mechanism comprises a gate member displaceable between a normal paper identification position where the normal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section and an abnormal paper identification position where the abnormal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section, and a drive mechanism that drives the gate member;
a standard mode as a counting mode for counting the number of sheets, in which normal sheets, which are sheets identified as normal and transported by the normal sheet transport unit, are stored in the normal sheet storage unit until a preset number is reached, and abnormal sheets, which are sheets identified as abnormal and transported by the abnormal sheet transport unit, are stored in the abnormal sheet storage unit;
a double stacker mode configured such that the normal paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport section are stored in the normal paper storage section until a preset number of sheets is reached, and then the gate member is displaced to the abnormal paper identification position so that the device continues to operate without stopping, and subsequent normal paper sheets are transported by the abnormal paper transport section and stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the preset number of sheets,
The normal paper storage unit receives the paper sheets discharged from the normal paper transport unit by aligning them on a paper receiving tray using a blade wheel, and the abnormal paper storage unit receives the paper sheets discharged from the abnormal paper transport unit directly on the paper receiving tray without using a blade wheel,
This paper sheet processing apparatus is characterized in that it is equipped with a control means for controlling the abnormal paper transport section and the normal paper transport section so that in the double stacker mode, the discharge speed of the normal paper sheets when they are discharged from the abnormal paper transport section and stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the set number of sheets is slower than the discharge speed of the normal paper sheets when they are discharged from the normal paper transport section and stored in the normal paper storage section by the set number of sheets .

The invention described in claim 4 includes a paper feed unit that feeds paper sheets one by one;
a main conveyance unit that conveys the paper sheets supplied from the paper feed unit and counts the paper sheets;
an identification mechanism for identifying whether the paper sheets in the main transport section are normal or abnormal;
a normal paper transport unit and an abnormal paper transport unit connected to a transport terminal end of the main transport unit;
a normal paper storage unit for storing normal paper sheets identified as normal by the identification mechanism;
an abnormal paper storage unit for storing abnormal paper sheets identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism;
a sheet presence/absence detection means for detecting the presence or absence of sheets stored in the abnormal sheet storage section,
The counting mode for counting the number of paper sheets is
a standard mode in which the normal paper sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section and the abnormal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section;
This paper sheet processing device is characterized by having a double stacker mode in which, after storing the normal paper sheets in the normal paper storage section until a preset number of sheets is reached, if the paper sheet presence/absence detection means detects that there are no paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section, the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section .
The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the paper sheet processing device described in claim 4, it is provided with a switching mechanism arranged at the transport end of the main transport section, and the switching mechanism is provided with a gate member that can be displaced between a normal paper identification position that connects the normal paper transport section to the main transport section and an abnormal paper identification position that connects the abnormal paper transport section to the main transport section, and a drive mechanism that drives the gate member.
The invention of claim 6 is characterized in that, in the paper sheet processing device of claim 4 or claim 5, it is provided with a paper sheet presence/absence detection means for detecting the presence or absence of paper sheets stored in the normal paper storage section, and in the double stacker mode, if the normal paper sheets in the normal paper storage section are removed by the operator before a preset number of normal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section, and the paper sheet presence/absence detection means detects that there are no normal paper sheets in the normal paper storage section, after the normal paper sheets stored in the abnormal paper storage section reach the set number, the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section.
The invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that, in the paper sheet processing device described in any one of claims 1, 3 to 6, in the double stacker mode, when a paper sheet supplied from the paper feed unit is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, the transport of the paper sheet identified as abnormal is stopped within the main transport unit.
The invention described in claim 8 is characterized in that, in the paper sheet processing device described in any one of claims 1, 3 to 7, in the double stacker mode, when a paper sheet supplied from the paper feed unit is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, a warning is displayed to the operator.
The invention of claim 9 is the paper sheet processing apparatus of any one of claims 1, 2, and 4 to 8, wherein the normal paper storage unit receives the paper sheets discharged from the normal paper transport unit by a blade wheel, and the abnormal paper storage unit receives the paper sheets discharged from the abnormal paper transport unit without using the blade wheel,
The double stacker mode is characterized by the provision of a control means for controlling the discharge speed of the normal paper sheets from the abnormal paper transport section to the abnormal paper storage section to be slower than the discharge speed of the normal paper sheets from the normal paper transport section to the normal paper storage section.

According to the invention described in claim 1, in double stacker mode, the device can be operated continuously without stopping by repeating the operation of alternately removing paper sheets from a normal paper storage section that is full (reaching the set number of sheets) and an abnormal paper storage section that is full (reaching the set number of sheets) .

According to the invention described in claim 2, in double stacker mode, when paper sheets supplied from the paper feed section are identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, the transport of the paper sheets identified as abnormal is brought to an emergency halt within the main transport section and a warning is displayed to the operator, so that the counting of normal paper sheets using two storage sections can be carried out efficiently without abnormal paper sheets being mixed in .

According to the invention of claim 3, the normal paper storage section, which receives discharged paper sheets by aligning them on the paper receiving tray using a blade wheel, aligns the paper sheets stacked on the paper receiving tray better than the abnormal paper storage section, which receives discharged paper sheets directly on the paper receiving tray without using a blade wheel.Therefore, by controlling the discharge speed of normal paper sheets when normal paper sheets are discharged from the abnormal paper transport section and stored in the abnormal paper storage section in the set number of sheets to be slower than the discharge speed of normal paper sheets when normal paper sheets are discharged from the normal paper transport section and stored in the normal paper storage section in the set number of sheets, the alignment of paper sheets stacked on both paper receiving trays is stabilized overall .

According to the invention described in claim 4, after normal paper sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section until a set number of sheets is reached, if the paper sheet presence/absence detection means detects that there are no paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section, the device has a double stacker mode in which subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section, so that when there are no paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section, it can be used to store normal paper sheets, and the counting of normal paper sheets can be performed efficiently.
According to the invention of claim 5, by providing a gate member that can be displaced between a normal paper identification position where the normal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section and an abnormal paper identification position where the abnormal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section, and a drive mechanism that drives the gate member, it is possible to easily switch between the normal paper transport section and the abnormal paper transport section.
According to the invention described in claim 6, in double stacker mode, when the paper sheet presence/absence detection means detects that the normal paper sheets stored in the normal paper storage section have been removed by the operator, after the number of normal paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section reaches a set number, the subsequent normal paper sheets can be stored in the normal paper storage section.
According to the invention described in claim 7, when a paper sheet supplied from the paper feed unit is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, the transport of the paper sheet identified as abnormal is stopped within the main transport unit.Therefore, even if the normal paper storage unit reaches the set number of sheets and the abnormal paper storage unit also contains normal paper sheets, and the identification mechanism identifies the paper sheet as abnormal, the abnormal paper sheet is transported to and stored in the abnormal paper storage unit, so that the abnormal paper sheet will not be mixed in with the normal paper sheets already stored in the abnormal paper storage unit.
According to the invention described in claim 8, when a paper sheet supplied from the paper feed unit is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, a warning is displayed to the operator, so that the operator can understand that the paper sheet has been identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism in a situation where there is a possibility that the normal paper sheet will be stored in the abnormal paper storage unit.
According to the invention described in claim 9, a normal paper storage section that receives paper sheets using a blade wheel aligns the paper sheets better than an abnormal paper storage section that receives the paper sheets without using a blade wheel, and by controlling the control means to slow down the discharge speed to the abnormal paper storage section, the abnormal paper storage section can align the paper sheets to the same extent as a normal paper storage section.

1 is an overall perspective view of an embodiment of a paper processing apparatus according to the present invention, which is a paper counting apparatus for counting ballot papers and the like. FIG. 2 is a side view of the paper counting device of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIG. 2, showing the case cover in an open state. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the paper counting device of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V in FIG. 4 . FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of the separating mechanism of FIG. 4 . FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional side view of the switching mechanism showing the state of the normal paper identification position. FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional side view of the switching mechanism showing the state of the abnormal paper identification position. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the device. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation in a double stacker mode. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation in a double stacker mode. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation in a double stacker mode. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the attachment relationship of two friction members to a separating roller, as another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view showing another embodiment in which an elastic member is installed between the impeller and the stopper.

The attached drawings show an example of a paper sheet processing device in which the present invention is applied to a paper counting device used to count election ballots, and one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on these drawings.

[Overall overview of the device]
1 is a perspective view of the entire sheet counting device, FIG. 2 is a side view of the sheet counting device, FIG. 3 is a side view of the sheet counting device with the main transport unit open, and FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the sheet counting device. For convenience of explanation, as shown in the figures, the sheet feed side is referred to as the "front" of the device, and the side where the operation panel 11 is provided is referred to as the "right side" of the device.

In Figure 1, the paper counting device has a paper feed unit 2 at the upper front end of the device case 1, a normal paper storage unit 3 at the lower rear end, and an abnormal paper storage unit 7 at the lower front end. Between the paper feed unit 2 and the normal paper storage unit 3 and between the paper feed unit 2 and the abnormal paper storage unit 7, there is a roughly U-shaped main transport unit 4 common to both. There is an operation panel 11 below the center of the device case 1, and warning panels 21 and 22 below the normal paper storage unit 3 and above the abnormal paper storage unit 7. Also, as shown in Figure 4, within the device case 1, there are a normal paper transport unit 8 and an abnormal paper transport unit 9 extending downward via a switching mechanism 10 at the transport end (rear end) of the main transport unit 4, and a handling mechanism 12 between the front end of the main transport unit 4 and the paper feed unit 2.

As shown in Figure 1, the paper feed unit 2, main transport unit 4, normal paper storage unit 3, and abnormal paper storage unit 7 all have openings 201, 301, 401, and 701 on one side, i.e., the front side, through which the inside of the device can be accessed. On the other hand, the other side, i.e., the back side, of the paper feed unit 2, main transport unit 4, normal paper storage unit 3, and abnormal paper storage unit 7 all end at a wall formed by the device's central frame.

[Basic operation of the entire device]
Next, the basic operation of the entire device will be briefly explained in three counting modes (standard mode, high-speed mode, and double stacker mode).
(1) Standard Mode: First, the standard mode will be described. In FIG. 4 , a large number of papers (e.g., ballot papers) N of approximately the same shape are loaded in the paper feeder 2. The bottommost paper is fed one by one via the sorting mechanism 12 into the main transport section 4. While the paper is being transported through the main transport section 4, the abnormal paper identification sensor S2 determines whether the paper is abnormal. If the paper is identified as normal, it is sent to the normal paper transport section 8, counted by the normal paper transport path sensor S5, and collected in the normal paper storage section 3. On the other hand, if the paper is identified as abnormal, a reject function is provided, which ejects the abnormal paper to the abnormal paper storage section 7 via the abnormal paper transport section 9. When the number of papers collected in the normal paper storage section 3 reaches a set number, the device automatically stops. The transport path for feeding paper N to the normal paper transport section 8 and the abnormal paper transport section 9 is switched by a gate member 91 of the switching mechanism 10.
(2) High-Speed Mode Next, the high-speed mode is a counting mode that prioritizes high-speed processing, in which normal paper is sent to the normal paper transport section 8 at high speed without activating the reject function that ejects the abnormal paper. The normal paper transport path sensor S5 counts the paper and collects it in the normal paper storage section 3. When the number of sheets collected in the normal paper storage section 3 reaches a set number, the device automatically stops. If the paper is identified as abnormal, the device immediately stops.
(3) Double Stacker Mode Next, we will explain the double stacker mode, which is a characteristic feature of the present invention. In double stacker mode, the abnormal paper storage section 7 is used alternately with the normal paper storage section 3 as a second normal paper storage section. First, normal paper is collected into the normal paper storage section 3 in high-speed mode. When the number of sheets collected in the normal paper storage section 3 reaches a set number, the gate member 91 of the switching mechanism 10 switches, and normal paper is then collected into the abnormal paper storage section 7 at the standard speed in standard mode.
This eliminates the need to take out the paper from the machine (collection section), and the counting operation can be continued without stopping the device. The operation in the double stacker mode will be described in detail later.

[Detailed configuration of paper feed unit]
1, abutment guide 26 is disposed at the rear end of paper feed unit 2. A pair of left and right paper feed rollers 27 protrude from below bottom surface 2a of paper feed unit 2. As shown in FIG. 4, paper feed rollers 27 have cutouts in parts of their outer peripheries, and rubber friction members 27a are provided in these cutouts to increase friction with paper N. Although not shown, paper feed rollers 27 are operatively connected to a first drive motor 61, which is electrically connected to control unit 70.

When the paper feed roller 27 rotates once in the paper feed direction, it moves the stack of paper N on the bottom surface 2a up and down, and the friction member 27a comes into contact with the bottom sheet, causing the strong frictional force between the paper and the friction member 27a to send the bottom sheet to the sorting mechanism 12. In this way, paper is periodically sent out at regular intervals.

[Detailed configuration of the main transport unit and handling mechanism]
In FIG. 4, the U-shaped main conveying section 4, which is located between the sorting mechanism 12 and the switching mechanism 10, is provided with a triplet of rollers 44 extending from the beginning to the end of the U-shape, and a triplet of rollers 45 at the bottom of the U-shape.

The triplet of rollers 44 is composed of a large-diameter drive roller 44a and small-diameter driven rollers 44b and 44c located on either side of the drive roller 44a, forming a triplet of rollers in which both sides of the drive roller 44a are nipped by the driven rollers 44b and 44c at a predetermined pressure. By driving the drive roller 44a, the triplet of rollers 44 can transport paper N guided into the main transport unit 4 downstream in the paper transport direction (transport direction A).

Similarly, the triplet of rollers 45 is composed of a large-diameter drive roller 45a and small-diameter driven rollers 45b and 45c located on either side of the drive roller 45a, forming a triplet of rollers in which both sides of the drive roller 45a are nipped by the driven rollers 45b and 45c at a predetermined pressure. By driving the drive roller 45a, the triplet of rollers 45 can transport paper N guided into the main transport unit 4 downstream in the sheet transport direction (transport direction A).

Paper N sent from the separation mechanism 12 to the main transport section 4 is further transported from the main transport section 4 to the switching mechanism 10 by these triple rollers 44 and 45.

The drive rollers 44a, 45a are linked together by a drive belt mechanism (not shown) so that they rotate synchronously, and are also connected to a second drive motor 62, which is electrically connected to the control unit 70.

Figure 5 is a schematic V-V cross-sectional view of Figure 4, and Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a key portion of Figure 4, each showing details of the separation mechanism 12. In Figures 5 and 6, the separation mechanism 12 is composed of a pair of left and right separation rollers 50, a central roller 51 disposed between the left and right separation rollers 50, a paper separation member 52 disposed above the left and right separation rollers 50, a spoon-shaped weight 53 disposed on the central roller 51 so as to be able to swing up and down, and a roller 54. The roller 54 is made of resin or rubber. The spoon-shaped weight 53 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the central roller 51 due to its own weight, and the roller 54 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the central roller 51 via a support member 59 due to the lifting force of a spring 58. Friction members 50a, 51a are provided on portions of the outer peripheral surfaces of the left and right separation rollers 50 and the central roller 51. The sheet separating member 52 is made of a friction material such as urethane rubber, and the roller surface 501 of the separating roller 50 forms a concave arcuate surface around its entire circumference, with the separating surface 521 of the sheet separating member 52 positioned opposite this roller surface 501. This separating surface 521 forms a convex arcuate surface, with the convex arcuate surface and the concave arcuate surface positioned opposite each other with a gap equal to the thickness of one sheet of paper to be counted. The separating roller 50 and center roller 51 are connected to the first drive motor 61 by a drive belt or the like (not shown) so that they drive in synchronization with the sheet feed roller 27 of the sheet feed unit 2.

When the left and right separating rollers 50 and the central roller 51 rotate, the friction members 50a, 51a on their outer surfaces send paper N into the main transport section 4. However, if two or more sheets of paper are sent into the separating mechanism 12 at once from the paper feed roller 27, the paper separator 52 and spoon-shaped weight 53 separate and stop the uppermost sheet from the lowermost sheet, and send only the lowermost sheet into the main transport section 4. In other words, in Figure 5, paper N passes between the left and right separating rollers 50 and the paper separator 52, and between the central roller 51 and the spoon-shaped weight 53 and roller 54, coming into contact with each roller and spoon-shaped weight 53 and undulating in the paper width direction, thereby undergoing a separating action.

[Normal paper transport section and abnormal paper transport section]
7 and 8 are enlarged longitudinal side views of the normal paper transport unit 8, the abnormal paper transport unit 9, and the switching mechanism 10. FIG. 7 shows the switching mechanism 10 in the normal paper identification position, and FIG. 8 shows the switching mechanism 10 in the abnormal paper identification position. The switching mechanism 10 comprises a gate member 91 that rotates about a gate shaft 911, a gate solenoid 65 (see FIG. 10), and a drive mechanism using a spring (not shown). The gate member 91 is pulled upward by the spring, and when the gate solenoid 65 is turned off, the spring force holds the gate member 91 in the normal paper identification position. When the gate solenoid 65 is turned on, the plunger of the gate solenoid 65 attached to the gate member 91 rotates the gate member 91 downward against the pulling force of the spring to position the gate member 91 in the abnormal paper identification position.

In Figure 7, at the transport end (rear end) of the main transport unit 4, the large-diameter drive roller 44a and the small-diameter driven roller 44c of the triplet of rollers 44 are arranged so that they come into contact with each other. A gate member 91 of the switching mechanism 10 is located near the rear of the contact point between the transport rollers 44a and 44c. Below the rear end of the gate member 91, the normal paper transport unit 8 is located so that it faces the outer surface of the driven roller 44c. The normal paper transport unit 8 extends downward to the normal paper storage unit 3. Meanwhile, above the rear end of the gate member 91, the abnormal paper transport unit 9 is located so that it faces the outer surface of the driven roller 44a. The abnormal paper transport unit 9 extends downward to the abnormal paper storage unit 7.

The drive roller 44a is interlocked with the second drive motor 62 via a drive belt mechanism (not shown) or the like, so that they rotate in sync.

[Normal paper compartment]
4, the normal paper storage section 3 is composed of a bottom plate 3a arranged in a downward-facing manner, a rotatable impeller 75 with multiple blades 75a on its outer circumferential surface, and a transparent stopper 77 erected at the rear end of the bottom plate 3a. The blades 75a are arranged at equal intervals around the circumference and extend outward in a curved radial direction.

Normal paper discharged from the normal paper transport unit 8 is inserted between the blades 75a one sheet at a time, and is sent rearward by the rotation of the impeller 75, where it is stacked against the stopper 77. The impeller 75 is operatively connected to a third drive motor 68 (not shown), which is electrically connected to the control unit 70.

[Abnormal paper storage section]
In Figure 4, the abnormal paper storage section 7 is composed of a bottom plate 7a that extends forward from the upper end of the abnormal paper transport section 9 in a downward direction, and a pressure guide 81 that is inclined from above the abnormal paper storage section 7 to the bottom plate 7a and is supported via a hinge section so that it can swing freely up and down.

Defective paper transported upward through the defective paper transport section 9 is guided by the pressure guide 81 and sent to the defective paper storage section 7, where friction with the pressure guide 81 prevents it from jumping forward too far and it is stacked on the bottom plate 7a.

[Jam Clearance]
The U-shaped main transport section 4, located between the separation mechanism 12 and the switching mechanism 10, is covered by case covers 86a and 86b in a state in which the paper N being transported can be seen from the outside, as shown in Figure 2. Each case cover 86a and 86b is rotatably supported by a hinge 88, and an unlock button 89 is provided on the device body. In the event of a jam, pressing the unlock button 89 unlocks each case cover 86a and 86b from the closed state shown in Figure 2, allowing them to be opened as shown in Figure 3. As a result, the gap in the main transport section 4 is widened, allowing the operator to easily clear the jam.

[Various sensors]
In Figure 4, a paper feed sensor (reflective sensor) S1 and an abnormal paper storage section sensor S8 are arranged on the bottom plate 2a of the paper feed section 2 and the bottom plate 7a of the abnormal paper storage section 7, respectively, to detect the presence or absence of paper in the paper feed section 2 and the presence or absence of abnormal paper in the abnormal paper storage section 7, and the abnormal paper storage section sensor S8 is arranged with a light-emitting section S8a on the lower side (towards the bottom plate 7a) facing a light-receiving section S8b on the upper side.
The normal paper storage section 3 has a normal paper storage section sensor S6 that detects the presence or absence of paper in the normal paper storage section 3. The normal paper storage section sensor S6 has a light emitting section S6a on the front side and a light receiving section S6b on the rear side that face each other.

The main transport path 35 in the front half of the main transport unit 4 is equipped with an abnormal paper identification sensor S2 as an identification mechanism for identifying whether paper in the main transport unit 4 is normal or abnormal. The abnormal paper identification sensor S2 is arranged with a lower light-emitting unit S2a and an upper light-receiving unit S2b facing each other across the main transport path 35. Further downstream, first and second main transport path sensors S3 and S4 are arranged with light-emitting units S3a and S4a facing each other across the main transport path 35, respectively, and with light-receiving units S3b and S4b facing each other above the light-emitting units S3a and S4a. The normal paper transport unit 8 has a normal paper detection sensor S5 with a light-emitting unit S5a facing each other in front of the normal paper transport path 8 and a light-receiving unit S5b facing the light-emitting unit S5a behind it. The abnormal paper transport section 9 has an abnormal paper transport path sensor S7, with a light-emitting unit S7a located below the abnormal paper transport path 9 and a light-receiving unit S7b located above it facing the light-emitting unit S7a. The normal paper transport path sensor S5 detects the presence or absence of paper and its passage, and at the same time, as a function of the device itself, counts the number of normal sheets of paper that have passed. The abnormal paper transport path sensor S7 also detects the presence or absence of paper and its passage, and at the same time, counts the number of abnormal sheets of paper that have passed.

The abnormal paper identification sensor S2 is a transmissive optical sensor. When light passing between the light-emitting element S2a and the light-receiving element S2b is blocked by paper, the amount of light received by the light-receiving element S2b changes, thereby determining whether or not the paper is overlapping. In other words, when paper with a transmittance of less than 100% passes through, the amount of light received by the sensor decreases in accordance with the decrease in transmittance. If paper is overlapping, the light transmittance is lower than when there is only one sheet of paper, and the amount of light received by the sensor also decreases. Therefore, by setting a first threshold value (upper limit) R1 between the amount of light received by the sensor when no paper is passing and the amount of light received by the sensor when one sheet of paper has passed, L1, and comparing the amount of light received by the sensor with this first threshold value R1, it is possible to determine whether or not paper is present at the sensor position. In other words, if the amount of light received by the sensor T is less than the first threshold value R1, it is determined that paper is present at the sensor position. Furthermore, a second threshold value (lower limit) R2 is set between the amount of sensor light received when there is one sheet of paper, L1, and the amount of sensor light received when there are two sheets, L2. By comparing the amount of sensor light received, T, with this second threshold value R2, it is possible to determine whether the sheets are overlapping. In other words, if the amount of sensor light received, T, is smaller than the second threshold value R2, it can be determined that the sheets are overlapping.

In addition, the length of the paper in the transport direction can be detected based on the amount of light received by the sensor T and the pulse signal from the pulse encoder 62a provided on the second drive motor 62. In other words, if the pulse signal is counted when the passage of the paper is detected based on the amount of light received by the sensor T, the count value corresponds to the length.

The first and second main transport path sensors S3 and S4, located at the rear of the main transport section 4, not only detect the presence or absence of paper passing through the main transport path 35, but can also detect the passage of the starting and ending ends of the paper.

Also, in Figure 3, the front and rear case cover portions 86a, 86b are each provided with open detection sensors S9, S10 (see Figure 10) that detect whether each case cover portion 86a, 86b is open, and are electrically connected to the control unit 70.

In the above-described embodiment, S2 to S8 use transmissive optical sensors, but reflective sensors may be used instead. Furthermore, while two open detection sensors, S9 and S10, are used for detection, a single open detection sensor may be used to capture the movement of the unlock button. Alternatively, a switch such as a microswitch may be used instead of a sensor.

[Operation Panel]
9A is an enlarged view of the entire operation panel 11. The operation panel 11 is provided with a liquid crystal display 11a at the lower left, a switch section (mode switch 113, paper feed switch 114, and bill stack switch 112) at the upper left, and a switch section (start/stop switch 125) at the lower right.

Figure 9(b) shows an enlarged view (display example) of the LCD display unit 11a when the above-mentioned counting mode is "standard mode" or "high-speed mode". In Figure 9(b), the upper part of the LCD display unit 11a is provided with a ballot bundle setting display unit 110 that displays the desired ballot bundle setting number up to three digits, an automatic/manual switching display unit 115, and a mode switching display unit 120. The lower part of the LCD display unit 11a is provided with a counting display unit 111 that displays the number of ballots being counted up to three digits. Figure 9(c) shows an enlarged view (display example) of the LCD display unit 11a when the above-mentioned counting mode is "double stacker". 9(c) shows an enlarged view (example display) of the LCD display 11a in "input mode." In FIG. 9(c), the upper part of the LCD display 11a is provided with a ballot bundle setting display 110 that displays the desired ballot bundle setting number to three digits, an automatic/manual switching display 115, and a mode switching display 120. The lower left part of the LCD display 11a is provided with a count display 111L that displays the number of ballots being counted to three digits, and the lower right part of the LCD display 11a is provided with a count display 111R that displays the number of ballots being counted to three digits.

The mode switch 113 corresponds to the mode switching display 120 on the LCD display 11a directly below it, and each time the mode switch 113 is pressed, the counting mode changes cyclically, for example, in the order high speed → standard → double.

The paper feed switch 114 corresponds to an automatic/manual changeover display section 115 on the liquid crystal display section 11a directly below it, and each time the paper feed switch 114 is pressed, for example, the automatic and manual modes are alternately changed over.
When the counting mode is set to "standard mode" or "high-speed mode," if the automatic mode is selected, counting the set number of sheets is completed, and when all the sheets are removed from the normal paper storage section 3, the normal paper storage section sensor S6 detects an empty state and the next counting automatically starts. On the other hand, if there is no paper in the normal paper storage section 3 or the set number of sheets has not been reached, and paper is placed in the empty paper feed section 2, the paper feed section sensor S1 detects the presence of paper, and the next counting automatically starts. If the manual mode is selected, counting starts by removing all the paper from the normal paper storage section 3 and then pressing the start/stop switch 125 again.

When the counting mode is "double stacker mode," the only difference is that in "double stacker mode," the abnormal paper storage section 7 is used as a second normal paper storage section, alternating with the normal paper storage section 3. Even when set to the automatic mode or manual mode, the basic operation is the same as in the "standard mode" and "high-speed mode," so a description will be omitted here.

The ballot bundle switch 112 corresponds to the ballot bundle setting display 110 on the LCD display 11a directly below it, and each time the ballot bundle switch 112 is pressed, the set number changes cyclically, for example, in the order 100 → 200 → 20 → 50 → 100.

The start/stop switch 125 can be pressed after the power is turned on to start the counting operation, and can also be pressed to stop the counting at any time during the counting process. Then, by pressing the start/stop switch 125 again, the device can be started again and the count can be added.

[Warning Panel]
In FIG. 2, the device case 1 is provided with two warning panels: a warning panel 21 provided below the normal paper storage section 3 and a warning panel 22 provided above the abnormal paper storage section 7 .
The warning panel 21 has a counting completion lamp 211, a counting in progress lamp 212, and an error display lamp 213, and the warning panel 22 has a counting completion lamp 221, a counting in progress lamp 222, and an error display lamp 223. Table 1 shows an example of their operation, and the counting completion lamps 211 and 221 are green counting completion lamps that light up when counting has been completed successfully for the set number of sheets. The counting in progress lamps 212 and 222 are green counting in progress display lamps,
Of the warning panels 21, 22, the one corresponding to the collection unit (3, 7) during counting will flash. The error indicator lamps 213, 223 are red error indicator lamps that flash when an error that cannot be fixed by itself occurs, such as residual paper or a jam in the main transport path 35, normal paper transport unit 8, or abnormal paper transport unit 9, or when there is a sensor or motor abnormality. In more detail, as shown in Table 1, the display operation of the warning panel and warning lamps differs depending on the counting mode (standard mode, high-speed mode, double stacker mode).

Furthermore, a "reject" indicator lamp may be added to the warning panel 22, and if there is paper in the abnormal paper storage compartment 7 when counting is completed in standard mode, the "reject" indicator lamp may be configured to flash red. Furthermore, when clearing a jam, if the unlock button 89 is pressed and the case cover sections 86a and 86b are opened, the error indicator lamps 213 and 223 may be configured to light up red.

In the above-described embodiment, the warning panels 21 and 22 are configured such that indicator lamps such as LEDs directly emit light. However, the indicator lamps may be built into a lamp house to diffuse the emitted light, so that the entire panel portion of the lamp house emits light.

[Control System]
10, the control unit 70 has a CPU, memory, etc., and is connected to the first, second, and third drive motors 61, 62, 68 and their encoders 61a, 62a, 68a, gate solenoid 65, operation panel 11, warning panels 21, 22, etc. Furthermore, the control unit 70 is connected to the paper feed unit sensor S1, abnormal paper storage unit sensor S8, normal paper storage unit sensor S6, abnormal paper identification sensor S2, each path sensor S3, S4, normal paper detection S5, abnormal paper transport path sensor S7, open detection sensor S9 for front case cover 86a, and open detection sensor S10 for rear case cover 86b.

[Double stacker mode operation]
Next, the operation of the double stacker mode, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 11 to 13. Figures 11 to 13 are flowcharts illustrating a simplified example of the flow from power-on to processing the double stacker mode. Note that the double stacker mode is a mode in which the abnormal paper storage unit 7 is used alternately with the normal paper storage unit 3 as a second normal paper storage unit, so in the following explanation of the flowchart, the normal paper storage unit 3 will be referred to as the "first stacker" and the abnormal paper storage unit 7 will be referred to as the "second stacker."

Figure 11 shows the main routine for controlling the basic operation of double stacker mode. Figure 12 shows the subroutine (first stacker counting process) in double stacker mode. Figure 13 shows the subroutine (second stacker counting process) in double stacker mode.

In step 1 of Figure 11, when the device's power switch is turned on, the subroutine (POW-ON processing) in step 2 is executed. In the POW-ON processing, when the power switch is turned on, it checks whether there is any paper remaining in both the first and second stackers, and if there is paper remaining in at least one of them, an error message is displayed and counting operations are not performed until the error is resolved. Note that the flow diagram for the POW-ON processing is omitted. After the subroutine (POW-ON processing) is executed, processing proceeds to step 3.

Next, depending on the setting status of the automatic mode or manual mode described above, it is checked whether a command to start counting has been issued (Step 3). If a command to start counting has not been issued (Step 3; N), the system waits until a command to start counting is issued. If a command to start counting has been issued (Step 3; Y), it is checked whether there are any sheets of paper stacked in the first stacker (Step 4). If there are sheets of paper stacked in the first stacker (Step 4; N), counting is stopped (Step 8) and processing ends. If there are no sheets of paper stacked in the first stacker (Step 4; Y), processing proceeds to the subroutine (first stacker counting processing) in Figure 12 (Step 5).

Next, it is confirmed whether or not there is paper stacked in the second stacker (step 6).
If there are sheets of paper loaded in the second stacker (step 6; N), counting stops (step 8) and the process ends. If there are no sheets of paper loaded in the second stacker (step 6; Y), the process proceeds to the subroutine (second stacker counting process) in Figure 13 (step 7). After the subroutine (second stacker counting process) is executed, the process returns to step 4.

After returning to step 4, steps 4 to 7 are processed in order as described above. That is, while either the first or second stacker is counting, the operator can alternately remove paper from the stacker that is not being counted (a "stacker empty") before both stackers reach their set number of sheets, allowing the device to operate continuously without stopping. Note that if both stackers reach their set number of sheets, counting stops (step 8) and processing ends.

Next, we will explain what happens when the two subroutines mentioned above are selected in the main routine of Figure 11.

First, we will explain what happens when the subroutine in Figure 12 (first stacker counting process) is selected. In step 10, the gate member 91 is placed in the first stacker identification position (normal paper identification position). Next, it is confirmed whether counting of the set number of sheets in the first stacker has been completed (step 11). If counting has not been completed (step 11; N), the process waits until counting of the set number of sheets has been completed. If counting has been completed (step 11; Y), the process returns to the main routine in Figure 11 (RET).

Next, we will explain what happens when the subroutine in Figure 13 (second stacker counting process) is selected. In step 20, the gate member 91 is placed in the second stacker identification position (abnormal paper identification position). Next, it is confirmed whether counting of the set number of sheets in the second stacker has been completed (step 21). If counting has not been completed (step 21; N), the process waits until counting of the set number of sheets has been completed. If counting has been completed (step 21; Y), the process returns to the main routine in Figure 11 (RET).

As explained above using the flowchart, in double stacker mode, normal paper transported by the normal paper transport section 8 is stored in the normal paper storage section 3 (first stacker) until a preset number of sheets is reached, and then the gate member 91 is displaced to the abnormal paper identification position (second stacker identification position) so that the device can operate continuously without stopping, and subsequent normal paper is transported by the abnormal paper transport section 9 and stored in the abnormal paper storage section 7 (second stacker) for the set number of sheets.

This allows a set number of normal sheets to be stored in the normal sheet storage section 3 (the first stacker), and then a set number of subsequent normal sheets to be stored in the abnormal sheet storage section 7 (the second stacker) so that the device can continue to operate without stopping, allowing for efficient counting of normal sheets.

In double stacker mode, the device has paper presence/absence detection means S6 and S8 that detect the presence or absence of paper stored in the normal paper storage section 3 (first stacker) and the abnormal paper storage section 7 (second stacker). If the operator removes the paper in the normal paper storage section 3 that has reached the set number before the set number of subsequent normal sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section 7, and it is detected that there is no paper in the normal paper storage section 3, the gate member 91 is again moved to the normal paper identification position (first stacker identification position) so that the device can continue to operate without stopping after the abnormal paper storage section 7 reaches the set number of sheets. ), and the set number of subsequent normal sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section 3. Furthermore, if the operator removes the paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section 7 that have reached the set number before the set number of subsequent normal sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section 3 and it is detected that there is no paper in the abnormal paper storage section 7, the gate member 91 is again displaced to the abnormal paper identification position (second stacker identification position) so that the device can continue to operate without stopping after the normal paper storage section 3 reaches the set number of sheets, and the set number of subsequent normal sheets is stored in the abnormal paper storage section 7.

As described above, by repeating the operation of alternately removing paper from the normal paper storage section that has become full (reaching the set number of sheets) and the abnormal paper storage section that has also become full (reaching the set number of sheets), the device can be operated continuously without stopping. Furthermore, when counting is complete, if paper has been removed from one of the storage sections and it is empty after both storage sections are full, paper does not necessarily have to be discharged alternately, but paper can be discharged continuously to the empty storage section. If both storage sections are empty, it is preferable to configure the device to preferentially discharge paper from the normal paper storage section.

Furthermore, in double stacker mode, when paper supplied from paper feed unit 2 is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism (S2), the transport of the identified paper is brought to an emergency halt within the main transport unit, and a warning is displayed to the operator.

As a result of the above, when paper supplied from the paper feed unit is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, the transport of the identified paper is stopped in the main transport unit and a warning is displayed to the operator. This prevents abnormal paper from getting mixed in with the first or second stacker, allowing efficient counting of normal paper sheets using the two storage units.

Furthermore, in double stacker mode, the normal paper storage unit 3 receives paper discharged from the normal paper transport unit 8 by aligning it onto the paper receiving tray 302 using the impeller 75, and the abnormal paper storage unit 7 receives paper discharged from the abnormal paper transport unit 9 directly onto the paper receiving tray 702 without going through the impeller 75. The control unit 70 controls the abnormal paper transport unit 9 and the normal paper transport unit 8 so that the discharge speed of normal paper when normal paper is discharged from the abnormal paper transport unit 9 and stored in the abnormal paper storage unit 7 in the set number of sheets is slower than the discharge speed of normal paper when normal paper sheets are discharged from the normal paper transport unit 8 and stored in the normal paper storage unit 3 in the set number of sheets.

As a result of the above, the normal paper storage unit, which uses a blade wheel to align and receive ejected paper onto the paper receiving tray, has better alignment of the paper stacked on the paper receiving tray than the abnormal paper storage unit, which receives ejected paper directly onto the paper receiving tray without using a blade wheel.Therefore, by controlling the discharge speed of normal paper when normal sheets are discharged from the abnormal paper transport unit and stored in the abnormal paper storage unit in the set number of sheets, to be slower than the discharge speed of normal paper when normal paper is discharged from the normal paper transport unit and stored in the normal paper storage unit in the set number of sheets, the alignment of paper stacked on both paper receiving trays is stable overall.

[Other embodiments]
(1) The above-described separating roller 50 has one friction member 50a attached to its outer circumferential surface, but it may also be configured to have two friction members 50a attached to its outer circumferential surface as shown in Fig. 14. This is expected to further improve separating performance and conveying force, and can solve the problem of, for example, when the timing of separating the sheets is delayed in the sheet separating section, a single separated sheet cannot be sent all the way to the next conveying roller.

(2) As shown in Figure 15, an elastic member 78 such as a resin sheet is installed between the impeller 75 and the stopper 77, and the paper discharged from the impeller 75 is stacked upright. The elastic member 78 bends and moves closer to the stopper 77 depending on the amount of paper loaded. This makes the distance from the paper discharge position of the impeller 75 to the elastic member 78, which acts as a paper receiving guide member, approximately constant. This results in good paper alignment. Alternatively, instead of the elastic member, a stacker guide may be configured that is biased toward the impeller 75 by a spring or the like and retracts against the biasing force depending on the amount of paper loaded.

(3) The paper counting device of the present invention can be powered by a battery in addition to a 100V AC commercial AC power source. In this case, it is preferable to configure the counting device so that each drive motor is further slowed down and controlled, taking into account battery life.

Note that the present invention is not limited to counting devices that count ballots, tickets, etc., but can also be applied to various paper processing devices, such as devices that simply separate foreign paper from normal paper, and devices that process sheets other than paper.

Furthermore, it is clear that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and that within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, this embodiment can be modified as appropriate in ways other than those suggested in this embodiment. Furthermore, the number, position, shape, etc. of the components are not limited to this embodiment, and can be any number, position, shape, etc. that is suitable for implementing the present invention.

F: conveying direction N: paper 1: device case 2: paper feed section 3: normal paper storage section (an example of a normal paper sheet storage section)
4 Main conveyance section 7 Abnormal paper storage section (an example of an abnormal paper sheet storage section)
8. Normal paper transport unit (an example of a normal paper sheet transport unit)
9. Abnormal paper transport unit (an example of an abnormal paper sheet transport unit)
10 Switching mechanism 12 Separation mechanism 27 Paper feed roller 35 Main transport path 50 Separation roller 51 Center roller 52 Paper sheet separating member 53 Spoon-shaped weight 61 First drive motor 62 Second drive motor 68 Third drive motor 75 Impeller 91 Gate member

Claims (9)

a paper sheet processing apparatus comprising: a paper feed unit that supplies paper sheets of approximately the same shape one by one; a main transport unit that transports the paper sheets supplied from the paper feed unit and counts the paper sheets; an identification mechanism that identifies whether the paper sheets in the main transport unit are normal or abnormal; a normal paper transport unit and an abnormal paper transport unit that are connected to a transport end of the main transport unit via a switching mechanism; a normal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport unit; and an abnormal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the abnormal paper transport unit, wherein when the paper sheets are identified as normal by the identification mechanism, the normal paper transport unit is connected to the main transport unit, and when the paper sheets are identified as abnormal, the abnormal paper transport unit is connected to the main transport unit;
the switching mechanism comprises a gate member displaceable between a normal paper identification position where the normal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section and an abnormal paper identification position where the abnormal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section, and a drive mechanism that drives the gate member;
a standard mode as a counting mode for counting the number of sheets, in which normal sheets, which are sheets identified as normal and transported by the normal sheet transport unit, are stored in the normal sheet storage unit until a preset number is reached, and abnormal sheets, which are sheets identified as abnormal and transported by the abnormal sheet transport unit, are stored in the abnormal sheet storage unit;
a double stacker mode configured such that the normal paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport section are stored in the normal paper storage section until a preset number of sheets is reached, and then the gate member is displaced to the abnormal paper identification position so that the device continues to operate without stopping, and subsequent normal paper sheets are transported by the abnormal paper transport section and stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the preset number of sheets ,
a paper sheet presence/absence detection means for detecting the presence or absence of paper sheets stored in the normal paper storage section and the abnormal paper storage section,
In the double stacker mode, if an operator removes the paper sheets in the normal paper storage section that have reached the set number before the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the set number, and a state in which there are no paper sheets in the normal paper storage section is detected, the gate member is again displaced to the normal paper identification position so that the device can operate continuously without stopping after the abnormal paper storage section reaches the set number, and the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section by the set number,
Furthermore, in this case, if the operator removes the paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section that have reached the set number before the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section by the set number, and if it is detected that there are no paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section, the gate member is again displaced to the abnormal paper identification position so that the device can operate continuously without stopping after the normal paper storage section reaches the set number, and the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the set number. a paper sheet processing apparatus comprising: a paper feed unit that supplies paper sheets of approximately the same shape one by one; a main transport unit that transports the paper sheets supplied from the paper feed unit and counts the paper sheets; an identification mechanism that identifies whether the paper sheets in the main transport unit are normal or abnormal; a normal paper transport unit and an abnormal paper transport unit that are connected to a transport end of the main transport unit via a switching mechanism; a normal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport unit; and an abnormal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the abnormal paper transport unit, wherein when the paper sheets are identified as normal by the identification mechanism, the normal paper transport unit is connected to the main transport unit, and when the paper sheets are identified as abnormal, the abnormal paper transport unit is connected to the main transport unit;
the switching mechanism comprises a gate member displaceable between a normal paper identification position where the normal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section and an abnormal paper identification position where the abnormal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section, and a drive mechanism that drives the gate member;
a standard mode as a counting mode for counting the number of sheets, in which normal sheets, which are sheets identified as normal and transported by the normal sheet transport unit, are stored in the normal sheet storage unit until a preset number is reached, and abnormal sheets, which are sheets identified as abnormal and transported by the abnormal sheet transport unit, are stored in the abnormal sheet storage unit;
a double stacker mode configured such that the normal paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport section are stored in the normal paper storage section until a preset number of sheets is reached, and then the gate member is displaced to the abnormal paper identification position so that the device continues to operate without stopping, and subsequent normal paper sheets are transported by the abnormal paper transport section and stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the preset number of sheets,
In the double stacker mode, when a sheet supplied from the paper feed unit is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, the transport of the sheet identified as abnormal is stopped in the main transport unit and a warning is displayed to the operator. a paper sheet processing apparatus comprising: a paper feed unit that supplies paper sheets of approximately the same shape one by one; a main transport unit that transports the paper sheets supplied from the paper feed unit and counts the paper sheets; an identification mechanism that identifies whether the paper sheets in the main transport unit are normal or abnormal; a normal paper transport unit and an abnormal paper transport unit that are connected to a transport end of the main transport unit via a switching mechanism; a normal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport unit; and an abnormal paper storage unit that stores the paper sheets transported by the abnormal paper transport unit, wherein when the paper sheets are identified as normal by the identification mechanism, the normal paper transport unit is connected to the main transport unit, and when the paper sheets are identified as abnormal, the abnormal paper transport unit is connected to the main transport unit;
the switching mechanism comprises a gate member displaceable between a normal paper identification position where the normal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section and an abnormal paper identification position where the abnormal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section, and a drive mechanism that drives the gate member;
a standard mode as a counting mode for counting the number of sheets, in which normal sheets, which are sheets identified as normal and transported by the normal sheet transport unit, are stored in the normal sheet storage unit until a preset number is reached, and abnormal sheets, which are sheets identified as abnormal and transported by the abnormal sheet transport unit, are stored in the abnormal sheet storage unit;
a double stacker mode configured such that the normal paper sheets transported by the normal paper transport section are stored in the normal paper storage section until a preset number of sheets is reached, and then the gate member is displaced to the abnormal paper identification position so that the device continues to operate without stopping, and subsequent normal paper sheets are transported by the abnormal paper transport section and stored in the abnormal paper storage section by the preset number of sheets,
The normal paper storage unit receives the paper sheets discharged from the normal paper transport unit by aligning them on a paper receiving tray using a blade wheel, and the abnormal paper storage unit receives the paper sheets discharged from the abnormal paper transport unit directly on the paper receiving tray without using a blade wheel,
This paper sheet processing apparatus is characterized in that it is equipped with a control means for controlling the abnormal paper transport unit and the normal paper transport unit so that in the double stacker mode, the discharge speed of the normal paper sheets when they are discharged from the abnormal paper transport unit and stored in the abnormal paper storage unit by the set number of sheets is slower than the discharge speed of the normal paper sheets when they are discharged from the normal paper transport unit and stored in the normal paper storage unit by the set number of sheets.
a paper feed unit that supplies paper sheets one by one;
a main conveyance unit that conveys the paper sheets supplied from the paper feed unit and counts the paper sheets;
an identification mechanism for identifying whether the paper sheets in the main transport section are normal or abnormal;
a normal paper transport unit and an abnormal paper transport unit connected to a transport terminal end of the main transport unit;
a normal paper storage unit for storing normal paper sheets identified as normal by the identification mechanism;
an abnormal paper storage unit for storing abnormal paper sheets identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism;
a sheet presence/absence detection means for detecting the presence or absence of sheets stored in the abnormal sheet storage section,
The counting mode for counting the number of paper sheets is
a standard mode in which the normal paper sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section and the abnormal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section;
and a double stacker mode in which, after storing the normal paper sheets in the normal paper storage section until a preset number of sheets is reached, if the paper sheet presence/absence detection means detects that there are no paper sheets in the abnormal paper storage section, the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section. a switching mechanism disposed at a transfer terminal end of the main transfer section;
The switching mechanism includes a gate member that can be displaced between a normal paper identification position where the normal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section and an abnormal paper identification position where the abnormal paper transport section is connected to the main transport section, and a drive mechanism that drives the gate member.
5. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a paper sheet presence/absence detection means for detecting the presence or absence of paper sheets stored in the normal paper storage section,
6. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in the double stacker mode, if the normal paper sheets in the normal paper storage section are removed by an operator before a preset number of normal paper sheets are stored in the abnormal paper storage section, and the paper sheet presence/absence detection means detects that there are no normal paper sheets in the normal paper storage section, after the normal paper sheets stored in the abnormal paper storage section reach a preset number, the subsequent normal paper sheets are stored in the normal paper storage section. 7. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the double stacker mode, when a paper sheet supplied from the paper feed unit is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, the transport of the paper sheet identified as abnormal is stopped within the main transport unit.
8. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the double stacker mode, when a paper sheet supplied from the paper feed unit is identified as abnormal by the identification mechanism, a warning is displayed to an operator. the normal paper storage unit receives the paper sheets discharged from the normal paper transport unit by a blade wheel;
the abnormal paper storage unit is configured to receive the paper sheets discharged from the abnormal paper transport unit without passing through a blade wheel,
The discharge speed of the normal paper sheets from the abnormal paper conveying section to the abnormal paper storage section in the double stacker mode is
9. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control means for controlling the normal paper sheets to be discharged from the normal paper transport section to the normal paper storage section at a speed slower than the normal paper sheet discharge speed.