Bill handling machine

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6749053
  • Patent Number
    6,749,053
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, February 22, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 15, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
The invention includes a bill processing unit into which a bill is fed and in which the bill is examined. The bill that has been examined and approved by the bill processing unit is received and stored by a storage unit. The bill processing unit and the storage unit are separated by a partition. A passage opening is formed in the partition through which the bill passes. According to the invention, even if the bill processing unit is destroyed, the bills in the storage unit may not be stolen. That is, protection against theft may be improved.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




This invention relates to a bill handling machine and, in particular, to a bill handling machine that can store a bill, which has been deposited through a bill deposit/withdrawal unit, in a storage unit that is separated from the bill deposit/withdrawal unit.




2. Description of the Related Art




There is known a machine including: a bill deposit/withdrawal unit that can conduct a bill depositing process and a bill refunding process, and a storage unit (safe unit) that can store bills that have been deposited through the bill deposit/withdrawal unit, from Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-329975. In the machine, the bill deposit/withdrawal unit and the storage unit are separated, so that protection against theft may be improved because there are no bills in the bill deposit/withdrawal unit.




In addition, in the machine, the bill deposit/withdrawal unit and the storage unit are disposed apart from each other. The bill deposit/withdrawal unit and the storage unit are connected with each other via an air tube. The air tube is adapted to transfer the bills in both directions by making use of the Venturi effect.




That is, the bills are transferred through the air tube by air pressure. Thus, the above machine has to have a source of pressured air, some actuators, some pressure-adjusting means and/or some other incidental instruments. Therefore, the machine may be extremely complicated and very costly. In addition, the air tube may become jammed with the bills because the bills are transferred together with the pressured air. Furthermore, it is difficult to surely deliver the bills into the air tube. In other words, a mechanism for delivering the bills into the air tube is unavoidably complicated.




In addition, there is known an automatic bill refunding machine that can refund a plurality of kinds of bills, as taught in Japanese Patent No. 2674899. The number of safes included in the machine varies depending on the number of kinds of bills that are ready for refunding.




In detail, the machine includes one or more box-like refunding modules that can be removably fitted in a main body of the machine and that can be piled up. The box-like refunding module has: a horizontal safe, a feeding-out part that can feed out a bill from an end part of the safe, a first passage through which the fed bill is transferred, and a second passage that connects with the first passage and that can also transfer a bill received at another position. Thus, the number of safes may be adjusted by changing the number of stacked refunding modules.




Considering the world currency situation, many kinds of bills are circulated in one country. In addition, in some countries in Europe or the like, bills of adjacent other countries are also widely used. Thus, in such a country, a financial institution such as a bank has to deal with many kinds of bills. On the contrary, there are also many cases wherein the machine that can deal with only one kind of bill is sufficient.




The above conventional machine has been developed only for refunding the bills. That is, the machine is not applicable to a circulating-type bill depositing and dispensing machine wherein the bills that have been deposited can be refunded again. In other words, there is still no circulating-type bill depositing and dispensing machine that can suitably keep up with an increase or decrease in the number of kinds of bills.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a bill handling machine comprising a bill processing unit that can be operated by customers and a storage unit that can store bills that have been deposited. The bill processing unit and the storage unit are separated, and the bills are surely transferred without complicated mechanisms and with improved protection against theft.




In addition, the object of this invention is to provide a circulating-type bill depositing and dispensing machine that can effectively function in various ways, for example when many kinds of bills have to be dealt with, when only small kinds of bills (in particular, only one kind of bill) have to be dealt with, or when a plurality of kinds of stored bills are allowed to intermingle with each other.




Thus, this invention is characterized by the following features. That is, this invention is a bill handling machine comprising: a bill processing unit into which a bill is fed and in which the bill is discriminated; a storage unit that can receive and store the bill that has been discriminated and approved by the bill processing unit; a partition that separates the bill processing unit and the storage unit; and a passage opening formed in the partition through which the bill passes.




According to these features, the bill processing unit and the storage unit are separated by the partition, and the bill processing unit and the storage unit are connected with each other only via the passage opening through which the bill can pass. Thus, the bills stored in the storage unit may be stored safely. That is, the bills are prevented from being stolen even if the bill processing unit is destroyed.




In addition, since the bills are transferred through the passage opening formed in the partition, a distance of transfer to the storage unit may be much shorter. Thus, the possibility that a jam the passage with the bills will occur may be significantly reduced. Furthermore, since the passage structure does not require any special mechanisms, the machine is advantageous in cost.




Preferably, the bill processing unit may have a depositing part into which bills are inserted. In addition, the bill processing unit may have a refunding part from which the bill that has been discriminated and not approved is paid back. In addition, the bill processing unit may have a temporary storing part in which the bill can be temporarily stored.




For example, the partition may be a door of a safe that can open and close, and the bill processing unit can be provided on the door in such a manner that the bill processing unit can open and close with respect to the door. The storage unit can be arranged in the safe, the passage opening can be formed in the door, and a bill passage of the bill processing unit and the passage opening can be aligned with each other when the bill processing unit closes with respect to the door. The door can be operated to open and close when the bill processing unit opens with respect to the door.




Alternatively, the partition can be a wall of a vault, the bill processing unit can be provided on an outside of the wall, the storage unit can be arranged in the vault, the passage opening can be formed in the wall, and a bill passage of the bill processing unit and a bill passage of the storage unit can be coupled to each other via the passage opening.




Alternatively, the partition can be a wall between a lobby room and a second room, the bill processing unit can be provided on a lobby-room side oft he wall, the storage unit can be arranged in the second room, the passage opening can be formed in the wall, and a bill passage of the bill processing unit and a bill passage of the storage unit can be coupled to each other via the passage opening.




In the above cases, the bill handling machine may be adapted to function as a circulatory-type bill depositing and dispensing machine.




Alternatively, this invention is characterized by the following features. That is, this invention is a circulating-type bill depositing and dispensing machine comprising: a bill processing unit that can conduct a bill depositing process and a bill dispensing process; a storage unit that can receive and store bills that have been deposited through the bill processing unit and that can feed out the bills; and a storage cassette that can receive and store the bill that has been fed out from the storage unit and that can feed out the bill. The storage cassette is arranged behind the storage unit in a column-like manner, and a second storage cassette, which can receive and store the bill that has been fed out from the storage cassette and which can feed out the bill, can be serially arranged behind the storage cassette in a column-like manner.




According to these features, the number of storage cassettes may be easily changed. That is, it may be easy to keep up with an increase or a decrease in the number of kinds of stored bills and/or an increase or a decrease in the amount of stored bills.




For example, the storage cassette has: a storage bin arranged therein; a depositing passage through which the bill is sent to the storage bin; and a dispensing passage through which the bill is fed out from the storage bin. The depositing passage and the dispensing passage can connect with a depositing passage and a dispensing passage of the serially arranged second storage cassette.




In this embodiment, preferably, the storage cassette has two storage bins that have the same structure and are vertically arranged. The bill is adapted to be selectively sent from the depositing passage to the respective two storage bins, and the bill is adapted to be selectively fed out from the respective two storage bins to the dispensing passage.




In addition, preferably, the bill is adapted to be sent to the storage bin through an upper portion of the storage bin and fed out from the storage bin through a lower portion of the storage bin. The storage bin has: a feeding-out unit arranged at a lower portion of the storage bin, which can feed out the bill pressed thereto; a stage that is vertically movable in the storage bin and that can receive and accumulate bills sent through the upper portion of the storage bin thereon; a pressing body that can press the bills accumulated on the stage to press a lowest bill of the bills to the feeding-out unit, the pressing body being entirely or partly made of a magnetic material; and an electromagnet arranged at an upper portion of the storage bin for sticking to and holding the pressing body when the stage is moved up in order to allow the bills to be sent onto the stage. The electromagnet is adapted to release the pressing body in such a manner that the pressing body falls on and holds the accumulated bills when the accumulated bills are fed out or the storage cassette is pulled out.




In addition, preferably, the storage cassette has an outside shell and an inside shell that is fitted in the outside shell. The depositing passage and the dispensing passage are arranged in the outside shell, the storage bin is arranged in the inside shell, and the inside shell is removable from the outside shell and is portable.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a schematic perspective view of a bill processing unit (in its open state) of a first embodiment, wherein the invention is applied to a safe;





FIG. 2

is a schematic sectional view of the first embodiment shown in

FIG. 1

in its operational state;





FIG. 3

is an enlarged sectional view of a bank note cassette shown in

FIG. 2

;





FIGS. 4A

to


4


C are schematic views for explaining an operation of a storage bin of the bank note cassette shown in

FIG. 3

;





FIG. 5

is a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment wherein the invention is applied to a vault, in its operational state;





FIG. 6

is a schematic sectional view of a third embodiment wherein the invention is applied to a lobby-room, in its operational state;





FIG. 7

is a schematic sectional view of a fourth embodiment wherein the invention is applied to a horizontal safe, in its operational state;





FIG. 8

is a schematic sectional view of a fifth embodiment;





FIG. 9

is a schematic sectional view of a case wherein another bank note cassette is added to the embodiment shown in

FIG. 8

;





FIG. 10

is a schematic sectional view of a case wherein three bank note cassettes are added to the embodiment shown in

FIG. 8

;





FIG. 11

is a schematic sectional view of a temporary storing part of a bill processing unit in its bill-accumulating state;





FIG. 12

is a schematic sectional view of the temporary storing part of the bill processing unit in its bill-feeding state;





FIG. 13

is a schematic sectional view of the temporary storing part of the bill processing unit in its bill-refunding state;





FIG. 14

is an enlarged sectional view of a bank note cassette shown in

FIGS. 9 and 10

;





FIGS. 15A

to


15


C are schematic views for explaining an operation of a storage bin of the bank note cassette shown in

FIG. 14

;





FIG. 16

is a schematic perspective view of a bill processing unit in its open state of a sixth embodiment wherein the invention is applied to a safe; and





FIG. 17

is a schematic sectional view of the sixth embodiment shown in

FIG. 16

in its using state.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




Embodiments of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings.





FIGS. 1 and 2

show a first embodiment wherein the invention is applied to a safe. As shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the first embodiment mainly consists of a safe


1


and a bill processing unit


2


.




In the embodiment, a door


3


is provided in a door side of the safe


1


. The door


3


can open and close with respect to the door side of the safe


1


. An outer case


4


defining an outer periphery of the bill processing unit


2


is mounted to the door side of the safe


1


via hinges


5


,


5


. Thus, the outer case


4


can also open and close with respect to the door side of the safe


1


. When the outer case


4


closes with respect to the door side, a backside plate


4




a


of the outer case


4


is arranged to conceal the door


3


of the safe


1


. The door


3


thus forms a partition separating the safe


1


from the bill processing unit


2


.




In the safe


1


, as shown in

FIG. 2

, a mixed bank note cassette


6


is disposed near to the door


3


. Behind the mixed bank note cassette


6


, at least one (three in

FIG. 2

) of the bank note cassettes


7


are disposed corresponding to the number of kinds of bills. Then, the mixed bank note cassette


6


and the bank note cassettes


7


form a storage unit. Thus, the bill handling machine of the embodiment is a circulating-type bill depositing and dispensing machine wherein the bills that have been deposited can be refunded again.




As shown in

FIG. 2

, the bill processing unit


2


has: a depositing portion


8


provided at a front upper portion of the outer case


4


, into which the bills P are inserted; a refunding (dispersing) portion


9


(rejection port) provided just below the depositing portion


8


in the front surface of the outer case


4


; a longitudinal looped transfer passage


11


arranged in the outer case


4


for transferring the bills that are inserted through the depositing portion


8


and fed out by a feeding mechanism


10


one by one; a discriminating component


12


arranged along the transfer passage


11


for examining the various kinds of bills and/or approving the bills; a temporary storing section


13


for temporarily storing the bills that have been discriminated and approved by the discriminating (examining) component


12


; and feeding mechanism


15


arranged at a lower portion of the temporary storing section


13


for feeding out the stored bills P and sending them to the mixed bank note cassette


6


in the safe


1


. Flappers are disposed at divergence junctions between the transfer passage


11


and the respective components as usual. Operations of the respective components and the flappers are controlled by a controller


16


.




In addition, in

FIG. 2

, an impeller


17


is provided for smoothly accumulating the bills P transferred to the temporary storing section


13


. A shutter


18


can open when the bills are paid back (i.e. distributed). As shown in

FIG. 1

, a key


19


is provided to open the door


3


of the safe


1


. A flexible cable


20


electrically connects the inside of the safe


1


and the bill processing unit


2


.




Passage portions


23


,


24


including transfer passages


21


,


22


respectively branched from an upper portion and a lower portion of the transfer passage


11


protrude from an upper portion and a lower portion of the backside plate


4


a of the outer case


4


, respectively. As shown in

FIG. 1

, each of the protruding passage portions


23


,


24


has a rectangular shape having a width larger than the width of the bills. The door


3


of the safe


1


has passage openings


25


,


26


into which the protruding passage portions


23


,


24


can be fitted substantially tightly, respectively. That is, each of the passage openings


25


,


26


also has a rectangular shape slightly larger than the protruding passage portion


23


or


24


. When the outer case


4


closes with respect to the door side of the safe


1


, the transfer passages


21


,


22


of the passage portions


23


,


24


are aligned with and connect with transfer passages


27


,


28


formed at an upper portion and a lower portion of the mixed bank note cassette


6


, respectively.




The mixed bank note cassette


6


and the bank note cassettes


7


,


7


,


7


are conveyed into and from the inside of the safe


1


while the door


3


is open with respect to the door side of the safe


1


. When these cassettes are set at respective predetermined positions in the safe


1


, these cassettes are connected to one or more driving sources for the transfer of the bills and for operations of the respective components. For example, driving force is transmitted from the driving sources to the components via one or more moving belts.




The mixed bank note cassette


6


has a double structure. That is, the cassette


6


has an outside (outer) shell


30


and an inside (inner) shell


31


that is fitted in the outside shell


30


. The transfer passages


27


,


28


and a longitudinal transfer passage


29


connecting the transfer passages


27


,


28


are arranged in the outer shell


30


. An upper storage bin


32


is formed at an upper portion in the inside shell


31


. A lower storage bin


33


is formed at a lower portion of the inside shell


31


. A feeding mechanism


34


, which can feed out the bills P one by one, is arranged at a base portion of the lower storage bin


33


. In addition, delivery passages


35


,


36


are branched from the vertical longitudinal passage


29


in the outside shell


30


in order to send the bills to the respective storage bins


32


,


33


. An impeller


37


smoothly accumulates and stores the bills P. In the mixed bank note cassette


6


, the inside shell


31


can be removed from the outside shell


30


. Thus, only the inside shell


31


can be conveyed to an accounting office or the like.




The bank note cassettes


7


,


7


,


7


have the same structure.

FIG. 3

shows an enlarged sectional view of the structure. As shown in

FIG. 3

, an upper storage bin


38


is formed at an upper portion of the cassette


7


. A lower storage bin


39


is formed at a lower portion in the cassette


7


. The upper storage bin


38


is disposed just above the lower storage bin


39


. A vertical longitudinal passage


40


is arranged along and near to a backside (left in

FIG. 3

) wall of the cassette


7


. An upper portion and a lower portion of the transfer passage


40


are connected to an upper transfer passage


41


and a lower transfer passage


42


, respectively. The upper transfer passage


41


connects with the transfer passage


27


of the mixed bank note cassette


6


via a passage portion


43


, and connects with another upper transfer passage


41


of an adjacent (rear) bank note cassette


7


. The lower transfer passage


42


connects with the transfer passage


28


of the mixed bank note cassette


6


via a passage portion


44


, and connects with another lower transfer passage


42


of the adjacent (rear) bank note cassette


7


. As shown in

FIG. 2

, in the rearmost (leftmost) bank note cassette


7


, the upper and lower transfer passages


41


and


42


connect only with the transfer passages


41


and


42


of the right adjacent bank note cassette


7


.




A branched path


45


is branched from the vertical transfer passage


40


in order to send the bills into the storage bin


38


. An impeller


47


is disposed along the branched path


45


in order to send the bills more smoothly. Similarly, a branched path


46


is branched from the vertical transfer passage


40


in order to send the bills into the storage bin


39


. An impeller


48


is disposed along the branched path


46


in order to send the bills more smoothly.




A receiving plate


50


(stage) is vertically movable in the storage bin


38


. A feeding-out mechanism


52


that can feed out the bills one by one is arranged at a base portion of the storage bin


38


. Thus, the bills in bin


38


can be sent to the bill processing unit


2


via the transfer passages


40


and


41


. Similarly, a receiving plate


51


(stage) is vertically movable in the storage bin


39


. A feeding-out mechanism


53


that can feed out the bills one by one is arranged at a base portion of the storage bin


39


. Thus, the bills in bin


39


can be sent to the bill processing unit


2


via the transfer passages


40


and


41


.




A pressing plate


54


(pressing body) that has been entirely or partly made of a magnetic material is placed in the storage bin


38


. An electromagnet


56


is mounted on an upper wall of the storage bin


38


. When the bills P accumulated on the receiving plate


50


are fed out, magnetic force created by the electromagnet


56


is stopped. Thus, the pressing plate


54


is allowed to fall on the accumulated bills P and press them down because of its own weight. Thus, suitable frictional force is generated between the lowermost bill P and the feeding-out mechanism


52


. On the other hand, when the bills P are received into the storage bin


38


, the receiving plate


50


is lifted up and the electromagnet


56


lifts the pressing plate


54


in order to allow the bills P to be sent onto the receiving plate


50


. Similarly, a pressing plate


55


(pressing body) that has been entirely or partly made of a magnetic material is placed in the storage bin


39


. An electromagnet


57


is mounted on an upper wall of the storage bin


39


. When the bills P accumulated on the receiving plate


51


are fed out, magnetic force created by the electromagnet


57


is stopped. Thus, the pressing plate


55


is allowed to fall on the accumulated bills P and press them down because of its own weight. Thus, suitable frictional force is generated between the lowermost bill P and the feeding-out mechanism


53


. On the other hand, when the bills P are received into the storage bin


39


, the receiving plate


51


is lifted up and the electromagnet


57


lifts the pressing plate


55


in order to allow the bills P to be sent onto the receiving plate


51


.




Then, an operation of the above embodiment is explained.




When one or more bills P are deposited, the bills P to be deposited are inserted into the depositing portion


8


of the bill processing unit


2


. After a predetermined depositing instruction is given, the feeding mechanism


10


operates to feed (take in) the bills one by one. The bills are transferred through the transfer passage


11


, and examined by the discriminating (examining) component


12


as to the denomination, whether the bill is true or phony, and whether the bill is fit or unfit. If a bill is judged to be a normal bill, the bill is sent to the temporary storing section


13


. If a bill is judged to be unfit or counterfeit, that is, if the bill is not normal, the bill is sent back to the refunding portion


9


(rejection port).




If the bills are to be stored and classified according to kind, the bills are sent to the respective storage bins


38


and


39


, each corresponding to a kind of bill.




When one or more bills P are paid out, according to an instructed amount of money, a corresponding number of bills P are fed out from the storage bins


38


and


39


in the bank note cassettes


7


, respectively. In this case, as shown in

FIGS. 4A

to


4


C, magnetic force from the electromagnet


56


when in a state shown in

FIG. 4A

or

FIG. 4B

is stopped wherein the storage bin


38


stores the bills to be fed out. Thus, the pressing plate


54


falls on the accumulated bills and presses them down because of its own weight. Then, the receiving plate


50


is moved down to the lowest position (FIG.


4


C), and the lowermost bill P is pressed to the feeding-out mechanism


52


to be fed out.




The fed bills are sent to the bill processing unit


2


via the transfer passages


40


and


41


, the transfer passage


27


of the mixed bank note cassette


6


and the transfer passage


21


of the passage portion


23


. Then, the bills are examined by the discriminating (examining) component


12


, and paid back to the refunding (dispersing) portion


9


.





FIG. 5

is a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment, wherein the invention is applied to a vault


60


. As shown in

FIG. 5

, a partition


61


separates the vault


60


from an outside area. Only managers can enter the vault


60


. A backside wall of an outer case


4


of a bill processing unit


2


is closely fixed to an outside surface of the partition


61


. A mixed bank note cassette


6


and bank note cassettes


7


,


7


,


7


are disposed in a frame


62


(vault


60


) built in an inside area with respect to the partition


61


. The mixed bank note cassette


6


and the bank note cassettes


7


,


7


,


7


form a storage unit. Similar to the safe


1


, the bills P can pass between the bill processing unit


2


and the mixed bank note cassette


6


, through passage openings


63


and


64


formed in the partition


61


.




Each component of the embodiment shown in

FIG. 5

is substantially the same as that shown in FIG.


2


. Thus, the same numeral references correspond to the same components as the embodiment shown in FIG.


2


. The explanation of the same structures and components is not repeated. In the embodiment shown in

FIG. 5

, the bills P are transferred substantially similarly to the embodiment shown in FIG.


2


.





FIG. 6

is a schematic sectional view of a third embodiment wherein the invention is applied to a lobby-room of a bank, a hotel or the like. As shown in

FIG. 6

, a partition


64


separates the lobby-room


66


from another second room


65


. A mixed bank note cassette


6


that forms a storage unit is closely fixed to a second-room surface of the partition


64


. An outer case


4


of a bill processing unit


2


is closely fixed to a lobby-room surface of the partition


64


. Similar to the safe


1


, the bills P can pass between the bill processing unit


2


and the mixed bank note cassette


6


, through passage openings


67


and


68


formed in the partition


64


.




Each component of the embodiment shown in

FIG. 6

is substantially the same as that shown in FIG.


2


. Thus, the same numeral references correspond to the same components as the embodiment shown in FIG.


2


. The explanation of the same structures and components is not repeated.




When one or more bills P are deposited, the bills P to be deposited are inserted into the depositing portion


8


of the bill processing unit


2


. After a predetermined depositing instruction is given, the feeding mechanism


10


operates to feed out the bills one by one. The bills are transferred through the transfer passage


11


, and discriminated by the discriminating (examining) component


12


as to the denomination, whether the bill is true or phony, and whether the bill is fit or unfit. If a bill is judged to be genuine, the bill is sent to the temporary storing section


13


. If a bill is judged to be unfit or counterfeit, that is, if the bill is not discriminated normal, the bill is sent back to the refunding portion


9


(rejection port).




If the bills are received in the temporary storing section


13


and are approved, that is, if an approval instruction is given, the bills are fed out from the temporary storing section


13


by the feeding mechanism


15


, and sent to the storage bin


33


, via the transfer passages


11


and


12


, the transfer passages


28


and


29


of the mixed bank note cassette


6


, and the branched path


36


. When the storage bin


33


becomes full, the machine is generally stopped. Alternatively, the bills stored in the storage bin


33


may be fed out by the feeding-out mechanism


34


, and sent to the upper storage bin


32


.




As shown in

FIG. 6

, in the case of using only the mixed bank note cassette


6


as the storage unit, it is preferable that the type of each bill is stored by a memory (not shown). Thus, the bills may be used for refunding.




In the above embodiments, the bills are sent to the storage bin through the upper portion thereof and are fed out therefrom through the base lower portion thereof However, as seen from a fourth embodiment shown in

FIG. 7

, if it is not necessary to feed out the bills, the storage unit may be formed by a horizontal storing box


70


. Then, the bills P may be stored as standing. In this case, if the storage box


70


has a safe structure and if a partition


71


forms a wall thereof, this invention is applicable to the storage box


70


by forming a passage opening


72


in the partition


71


.




The bill processing unit


2


shown in

FIG. 7

is substantially the same as that shown in FIG.


2


. Thus, the same numeral references correspond to the same components as the embodiment shown in FIG.


2


. The explanation of the same structures and components is not repeated.




Then, a fifth embodiment of the invention is explained with reference to

FIGS. 8

to


10


.





FIG. 8

shows a case wherein only one mixed bank note cassette


104


is used as a storage unit.

FIG. 9

shows a case wherein one bank note cassette


105


is arranged behind the mixed bank note cassette


104


in a column-like manner.

FIG. 10

shows a case wherein three bank note cassettes


105


are serially arranged behind the mixed bank note cassette


104


in a column-like manner. The number of serially arranged bank note cassettes


105


is variable depending on the number of kinds of bills and/or the amount of bills.




As shown in

FIGS. 8

to


10


, a partition


102


separates a room


101


, such as a vault, from an outside area. Only managers can enter the room


101


. A bill processing unit


103


is disposed in the outside area with respect to the partition


102


. A storage unit for bills P is disposed in the room


101


.




As shown in

FIGS. 8

to


10


, the bill processing unit


103


has: a depositing portion


108


provided at a front upper portion of an outer case


106


of the bill processing unit


103


, into which the bills P are inserted; a refunding (dispersing) portion


109


(rejection port) provided just below the depositing part


108


in the front surface of the outer case


106


; a longitudinal looped transfer passage


111


arranged in the outer case


106


for transferring the bills that are inserted through the depositing portion


108


and fed out by a feeding mechanism


110


one by one; a discriminating (examining) component


112


arranged along the transfer passage


111


for discriminating the denomination and/or authenticating and evaluating the fitness of the bills; a temporary storing section


113


for temporarily storing the bills that have been discriminated and approved by the discriminating component


112


; and a feeding mechanism


115


arranged at a lower portion of the temporary storing section


113


for feeding out the stored and approved bills P and sending them to the mixed bank note cassette


104


in the room


101


. Flappers are disposed at divergence junctions between the transfer passage


111


and the respective components as usual. Operations of the respective components and the flappers are controlled by a controller


116


.




In

FIGS. 8

to


10


, an impeller


117


is provided for smoothly accumulating the bills P transferred to the temporary storing section


113


. A port


118


is provided for refunding the stored bills P when the deposit is not approved, or for paying-out the stored bills P when withdrawal is requested. A shutter


119


can open and close the port


118


.




Passage portions


123


,


124


including transfer passages


121


,


122


, respectively, branched from an upper portion and a lower portion of the transfer passage


111


are formed at an upper portion and a lower portion of a backside wall of the outer case


106


, respectively. The transfer passages


121


,


122


of the passage portions


123


,


124


are aligned with and connect with transfer passages


133


,


134


formed at an upper portion and a lower portion of the mixed bank note cassette


104


, respectively.




The temporary storing section


113


of the bill processing unit


103


will now be explained with reference to

FIGS. 11

to


13


.

FIG. 11

shows the temporary storing section


113


in its bill-accumulating state,

FIG. 12

shows the temporary storing section


113


in its bill-feeding state, and

FIG. 13

shows the temporary storing section


113


in its bill-refunding state.




As shown in

FIGS. 11

to


13


, a regulating plate


126


is suspended along an inside surface of the shutter


119


of the refunding (dispersing) port


118


. An upper end of the regulating plate


126


is supported by a supporting part


125


in such a manner that a lower end of the regulating plate


126


reaches a vicinity of an upper end of the refunding port


118


. A bill P transferred through the impeller


117


may stand up in the temporary storing part


113


, which is detected by a sensor (not shown). In such a case, the regulating


10


plate


126


swings from a position shown by a real line in

FIG. 11

to a position shown by a two-dotted line in

FIG. 11

by a driving device such as a solenoid. Thus, the standing bill is moved into its horizontal posture. The transferred bills are accumulated on a base plate


129


. The base plate


129


has a fulcrum


127


on the side of the refunding port


118


. Thus, the base plate can swing from a horizontal position above a kicker-roller


128


to a position below an upper surface of the kicker-roller


128


by a driving device such as a solenoid. The kicker-roller


128


is part of a feeding-out mechanism


115


. A pressing plate


130


can move down from a standing attitude shown by a real line in

FIG. 11

to a substantially horizontal attitude shown by a real line in

FIG. 13

by a moving mechanism (not shown). Thus, the pressing plate


130


can press down and hold the bills P accumulated on the base plate


129


when the bills P are fed out. A pushing member


131


is arranged to regulate tail ends of the bills P accumulated on the base plate


129


(see FIGS.


11


and


12


). The pushing member


131


is horizontally movable from a position shown in

FIGS. 11 and 12

to a forward position shown in

FIG. 13

when the accumulated bills P are paid back to the refunding port


118


.




Thus, the bills P to be sent to the temporary storing section


113


are received by the impeller


117


via the discriminating component


112


and the branched path. Then, the bills P are guided downward by rotation of the impeller


117


in a direction shown by an arrow in

FIG. 11

, and accumulated on the base plate


129


that has been horizontal. If a bill is not guided smoothly onto the base plate


129


, that is, if a bill stands up like a bill P′ shown in

FIG. 11

, the sensor (not shown) detects the situation and the regulating plate


126


swings to the position shown by the two-dotted line in FIG.


11


. Thus, the standing bill P′ falls down and becomes flat on the base plate


129


. That is, the bill P′ is also accumulated smoothly. The sensor may comprise a light-emitting element disposed at a side wall of the temporary storing section


113


, a reflecting plate, such as a mirror, disposed above the refunding port


118


in the temporary storing section


113


, and a light-receiving element disposed at another side wall of the temporary storing section


113


. In this case, when the light-receiving element does not receive light emitted from the light-emitting element, it is thought that a bill is standing up so as to interrupt the light.




When the accumulated bills P are fed out to the mixed bank note cassette


104


, as shown in

FIG. 12

, the base plate


129


swings down to cause a bottom surface of the lowest bill P to come in contact with the kicker-roller


128


. Then, the pressing plate


130


falls down on and presses down the accumulated bills. After that, the kicker-roller


128


and a feed roller


132


are driven to feed out the bills one by one, as parts of the feeding-out mechanism


115


.




When the bills P accumulated on the base plate


129


are paid back or dispensed, as shown in

FIG. 13

, the shutter


119


opens and the pushing member


131


moves forward. Then, the tail ends of the bills P are pushed forward so that the bills protrude through the refunding (dispersing) port


118


by substantially half their height, which is convenient to take away the bills by hand.




The mixed bank note cassette


104


has a double structure. That is, the cassette


104


has an outside (outer) shell


136


and an inside (inner) shell


137


that is fitted in the outside shell


136


. The upper dispensing transfer passage


133


, the lower depositing transfer passage


134


and a vertical longitudinal transfer passage


135


connecting with the transfer passages


133


,


134


are arranged in the outer shell


136


. An upper storage bin


138


is formed at an upper portion in the inside shell


137


. A lower storage bin


139


is formed at a lower portion in the inside shell


137


. A feeding mechanism


140


, which can feed out the bills P from the lower storage bin


139


one by one, is arranged at a base portion of the lower storage bin


139


. In addition, passages


141


,


142


are branched from the vertical longitudinal passage


135


in the outside shell


136


in order to send the bills to the respective storage bins


138


,


139


. An impeller


143


smoothly accumulates and stores the bills P. Thus, in the mixed bank note cassette


104


, the inside shell


137


can be removed from the outside shell


136


. Then, only the inside shell


137


can be conveyed to an accounting office or the like.




The bank note cassettes


105


have the same structure, and

FIG. 14

shows an enlarged sectional view of the structure. As shown in

FIG. 14

, an upper storage bin


144


is formed at an upper portion in the cassette


105


. A lower storage bin


145


is formed at a lower portion in the cassette


105


. The upper storage bin


144


is disposed just above the lower storage bin


145


. A vertical longitudinal passage


146


is arranged along and near to a backside (left in

FIG. 14

) wall of the cassette


105


. An upper portion and a lower portion of the transfer passage


146


are connected to an upper transfer passage


147


and a lower transfer passage


148


, respectively. The upper transfer passage


147


connects with the transfer passage


133


of the mixed bank note cassette


104


via a passage portion


149


and with another upper transfer passage


147


of an adjacent (rear) bank note cassette


105


. The lower transfer passage


148


connects with the transfer passage


134


of the mixed bank note cassette


104


via a passage portion


150


and with another lower transfer passage


148


of the adjacent (rear) bank note cassette


105


. As shown in

FIG. 10

, in the rearmost (leftmost) bank note cassette


105


, the upper and lower transfer passages


147


and


148


connect only with the transfer passages


147


and


148


of the right adjacent bank note cassette


105


. In this case, the upper and lower transfer passages


147


and


148


in the rearmost (leftmost) bank note cassette


105


may be closed with respect to the left wall. Alternatively, the upper and lower transfer passages


147


and


148


in the rearmost (leftmost) bank note cassette


105


may be connected to transfer passages


147


and


148


of a possible left adjacent bank note cassette


105


.




A branched path


151


is branched from the vertical transfer passage


146


in order to send the bills into the storage bin


144


. An impeller


153


is disposed along the branched path


151


in order to send the bills more smoothly. Similarly, a branched path


152


is branched from the vertical transfer passage


146


in order to send the bills into the storage bin


145


. An impeller


154


is disposed along the branched path


152


in order to send the bills more smoothly.




A receiving plate


155


(stage) is vertically movable in the storage bin


144


. A feeding-out mechanism


157


that can feed out the bills from storage bin


144


one by one is arranged at a base portion of the storage bin


144


. Thus, the bills are adapted to be sent to the bill processing unit


103


via the transfer passages


146


and


147


. Similarly, a receiving plate


156


(stage) is vertically movable in the storage bin


145


. A feeding-out mechanism


158


that can feed out the bills from storage bin


145


one by one is arranged at a base portion of the storage bin


145


. Thus, the bills are adapted to be sent to the bill processing unit


103


via the transfer passages


146


and


147


.




A pressing plate


159


(pressing body) that has been entirely or partly made of a magnetic material is placed in the storage bin


144


. An electromagnet


161


is mounted on an upper wall of the storage bin


144


. When the bills P accumulated on the receiving plate


155


are fed out, magnetic force from the electromagnet


161


stops. Then, the pressing plate


159


falls on the accumulated bills P and presses them down because of its own weight. Thus, a suitable frictional force is generated between the lowermost bill P and the feeding-out mechanism


157


. On the other hand, when the bills P are received into the storage bin


144


, the receiving plate


155


is once lifted up to the uppermost position, the electromagnet


161


lifts the pressing plate


159


, and the receiving plate


155


is again moved down in order to allow the bills P to be sent onto the receiving plate


155


.




Similarly, a pressing plate


160


(pressing body) that has been entirely or partly made of a magnetic material is placed in the storage bin


145


. An electromagnet


162


is mounted on an upper wall of the storage bin


145


. When the bills P accumulated on the receiving plate


156


are fed out, magnetic force from the electromagnet


162


stops. Then, the pressing plate


160


falls on the accumulated bills P and presses them down because of its own weight. Thus, a suitable frictional force is generated between the lowermost bill P and the feeding-out mechanism


158


. On the other hand, when the bills P are received into the storage bin


145


, the receiving plate


156


is once lifted up to the uppermost position, the electromagnet


162


lifts the pressing plate


160


, and the receiving plate


156


is again moved down in order to allow the bills P to be sent onto the receiving plate


156


.




Then, an operation of the fifth embodiment is explained.




When one or more bills P are deposited, the bills P to be deposited are inserted into the depositing portion


108


of the bill processing unit


103


. After a predetermined depositing instruction is given, the feeding mechanism


110


operates to feed out (accept) the bills one by one. The bills are transferred through the transfer passage


111


, and examined by the discriminating (examining) component


112


as to the denomination, whether the bill is true or phony, and whether the bill is fit or unfit. If a bill is judged to be a normal bill, the bill is sent to the temporary storing section


113


. If a bill is judged to be unfit or counterfeit, that is, if the bill is not normal, the bill is sent back to the dispensing portion


109


(rejection port).




As shown in

FIG. 8

, when the storage unit is formed only by the mixed bank note cassette


104


, a depositing operation is explained as described below.




At first, the bills P that have been inserted through the depositing portion


108


of the bill processing unit


103


are fed out (accepted) by feeding mechanism


110


one by one. Then, the bills P are temporarily stored by the temporary storing section


113


. At that time, an amount of money of the temporarily stored bills P is shown by a tellers-machine or a separate display (not shown) as usual.




If the amount of money is approved, according to the approval instruction, the bills P in the temporary storing section


113


are fed out by the feeding-out mechanism


115


one by one. The fed bills P are transferred into the lower storage bin


139


of the mixed bank note cassette


104


through the transfer passage


111


, the component


112


, the transfer passage


122


, and the depositing transfer passage


142


. When the bills P pass through the examining component


112


, the types and quantities of the bills are stored by a memory (not shown). Thus, types and quantities of the bills P received by the storage bin


139


are stored by the memory.




A dispensing operation of dispensing the bills P stored in the mixed bank note cassette


104


is explained below.




At first, the contents stored in the memory are searched to check whether bills necessary for a dispensing operation are stored or not. If the necessary number of bills is not stored, the dispensing operation can not be conducted. If the necessary number of bills is stored, the bills are fed out from the storage bin


139


by the feeding-out mechanism


140


one by one. The fed bills P are transferred to the examining component


112


through the transfer passage


135


, the dispensing transfer passage


133


, and the transfer passages


121


and


111


. If the examining component


112


judges that a bill is not an object to be dispensed, the bill is sent to the temporary storing section


113


of the bill processing unit


103


via the transfer passage


111


. If the examining component


112


judges that a bill is an object to be dispensed, the bill is sent to the dispensing port


109


.




In

FIG. 9

, the storage unit is formed by the mixed bank note cassette


104


and one bank note cassette


105


that is connected to the mixed bank note cassette


104


. In the arrangement shown in

FIG. 9

, the bills can be sent to three storage bins, respectively.




In this case, each of the storage bins


144


and


145


of the bank note cassette


105


corresponds to one predetermined kind of bill to be stored therein. That is, one storage bin is adapted to store only one kind of bill. The storage bins


138


and


139


of the mixed bank note cassette


104


are adapted to be used after the storage bins


144


and/or


145


of the bank note cassette


105


become full. Alternatively, the storage bins


138


and


139


of the mixed bank note cassette


104


are adapted to be used for storing bills different than the kinds predetermined for the storage bins


144


and


145


. Alternatively the storage bin


139


is used for storing normal bills that can be circulated, but the storage bin


35




138


is used for storing bills not suitable for being circulated, such as very dirty bills, very damaged bills, or bills on which tape or the like is attached. Then, the storage bin


138


may be provided with no feeding-out mechanism.




In addition, if it is necessary to increase the amount of bills and/or the kinds of bills, one or more bank note cassettes


105


are serially arranged in a column manner. The number of bank note cassettes


105


may be two, three (see FIG.


10


), four, five, or any other number. If the number of bank note cassettes


105


is two, the number of storage bins may be five. If the number of bank note cassettes


105


is three, the number of storage bins may be seven. If the number of bank note cassettes


105


is four, the number of storage bins may be nine. Similarly, the number of storage bins may be freely increased.




The bills P are sent into the respective storage bins


144


and


145


of the bank note cassettes


105


, through the transfer passage


146


branched from the depositing transfer passage


148


, and the branched transfer passages


151


and


152


.




When one or more bills P are fed out from the storage bins


144


and


145


of the bank note cassettes


105


, as shown in

FIGS. 15A

to


15


C, magnetic force from the electromagnet


161


in a state shown in

FIG. 15A

or

FIG. 15B

, wherein the storage bin stores the bills to be fed out stops. Then, the pressing plate


159


falls on the accumulated bills and presses them down because of its own weight. Then, the receiving plate


155


is moved down to the lowest position (FIG.


15


C), and the lowermost bill P is pressed against the feeding-out mechanism


157


to be fed out.




The fed bills are sent to the bill processing unit


103


via the transfer passages


146


and


147


, and the transfer passage


133


of the mixed bank note cassette


104


. Then, the bills are examined by the examining component


112


. The examined bills are sent back to the dispersing port


109


, or through the temporary storing section


113


. Abnormal bills that have been fed out obliquely or overlappedly may be sent to the storage bin


139


of the mixed bank note cassette


104


.





FIGS. 16 and 17

show a sixth embodiment wherein the invention is applied to a safe. As shown in

FIGS. 16 and 17

, the


35


sixth embodiment mainly consists of a safe


170


and a bill processing unit


103


.




In the embodiment, a door


171


is provided in a door side of the safe


170


. The door


171


can open and close with respect to the door side of the safe


170


. An outer case


106


defining an outer fence of the bill processing unit


103


is mounted to the door side of the safe


170


via hinges


172


,


172


. Thus, the outer case


106


can also open and close with respect to the door side of the safe


170


. When the outer case


106


closes with respect to the door side, a backside plate


106




a


of the outer case


106


is adapted to conceal the door


171


of the safe


170


. Then, the door


171


forms a partition separating the safe


170


and the bill processing unit


103


.




In the safe


170


, as shown in

FIG. 17

, a mixed bank note cassette


104


is disposed near (adjacent) to the door


171


. Behind the mixed bank note cassette


104


, one to several (three in

FIG. 17

, bank note cassettes


105


are disposed corresponding to the number of kinds of bills, in a column manner. Then, the mixed bank note cassette


104


and the bank note cassettes


105


form a storage unit.




Passage portions


173


,


174


including transfer passages


121


,


122


, respectively, branched from an upper portion and a lower portion of the transfer passage


111


protrude from an upper portion and a lower portion of the backside plate


106




a


of the outer case


106


, respectively. Each of the protruded passage portions


173


,


174


has a rectangular shape having a width larger than widths of the bills. The door


171


of the safe


170


has passage openings


175


,


176


into which the protruded passage portions


173


,


174


can be fitted substantially tightly, respectively. That is, each of the passage openings


175


,


176


also has a rectangular shape slightly larger than the protruded passage portion


173


or


174


. Then, when the outer case


106


closes with respect to the door side of the safe


170


, the transfer passages


121


,


122


of the passage portions


173


,


174


are aligned with and connect with transfer passages


133


,


134


formed at an upper portion and a lower portion of the mixed bank note cassette


104


, respectively.




The mixed bank note cassette


104


and the bank note cassettes


105


,


105


,


105


are conveyed into and from the inside of the safe


170


while the door


171


opens with respect to the door side of the safe


170


. When these cassettes are set at respective predetermined positions in the safe


170


, these cassettes are connected to one or more driving sources for the transfer of the bills and for operations of the respective components. For example, a driving force is transmitted from the driving sources to the components via one or more moving belts.




In the case of the above safe, the bills P are transferred substantially similarly to the embodiment shown in

FIGS. 8

to


10


. Thus, the same numeral references correspond to the same components as the embodiment shown in

FIGS. 8

to


10


. The explanation of the same structures and components is not repeated.




As described above, according to the invention, after the depositing operation, the deposited bills don't remain in the bill processing unit. In addition, the storage unit and the bill processing unit are connected with each other only via the passage opening through which the bills can pass. Thus, the bills are prevented from being stolen even if the bill processing unit is destroyed. Thus, the bill processing unit can be placed more freely, so that availability of the machine may be much improved.




In addition, according to the invention, a transferring machine including the transfer passages to the storage bin and the feeding-out mechanism from the storage bin may be provided in each bank note cassette that can be arranged serially in the columnar manner. Thus, the bill processing unit and the storage unit may be separated more completely. Thus, even if the number of bank note cassettes is increased, it is unnecessary to rebuild the transferring (driving) device. As a result, the number of bank note cassettes may be easily increased or decreased to achieve a suitable capacity requested by users. Therefore, one machine of the invention is sufficient for different capacities, which is advantageous for reducing cost and for minimizing installation space.




In addition, the transfer passages may be formed in the bank note cassette. Thus, when a jam occurs, the transfer passages may be easily inspected by taking off the bank note cassette from the machine. That is, maintenance performance may be improved.




In addition, the electromagnet can lift and hold the pressing body provided in the storage bin, release the pressing body in such a manner that the pressing body falls on and presses down the accumulated bills for feeding out the bills, and again stick to and hold the pressing body by lifting the stage. In that case, it is unnecessary to provide any elevating mechanism for the pressing body. Thus, the structure of the storage bin is so simple that the bank note cassette is easily formed independently. Furthermore, when the removed bank note cassette is conveyed to the accounting office or the like, the electromagnet may preferably release the pressing body such that the pressing body presses the accumulated bills downward. Thus, the accumulated bills are prevented from being disturbed while the bank note cassette is conveyed.



Claims
  • 1. A bill handling machine comprising:a bill processing unit for receiving a bill and for examining the bill to determine whether the bill is acceptable, said bill processing unit including a temporary storage section for temporarily storing the bill received by said bill processing unit; a storage unit for receiving and storing the bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit; and a security barrier separating said bill processing unit from said storage unit, said partition having a passage opening for allowing the bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit to pass through said partition.
  • 2. A bill handling machine comprising:a bill processing unit for receiving a bill and for examining the bill to determine whether the bill is acceptable, said bill processing unit having a bill passage; a storage unit for receiving and storing the bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit; and a safe having a door, said storage unit being arranged in said safe, said door of said safe separating said bill processing unit from said storage unit, said door having a passage opening for allowing the bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit to pass through said door, said bill processing unit being arranged on said door such that said bill processing unit is operable to open and close relative to said door, such that said bill passage is aligned with said passage opening of said door when said bill processing unit is closed relative to said door, and such that said door is operable to open and close said safe when said bill processing unit is opened relative to said door.
  • 3. A bill handling machine comprising:a bill processing unit for receiving a bill and for examining the bill to determine whether the bill is acceptable, said bill processing unit having a bill passage and a temporary storage section for temporarily storing the bill received by said bill processing unit; a storage unit for receiving and storing the bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit, said storage unit having a bill passage; and a vault having a partition wall, said storage unit being arranged in said vault, said partition wall separating said bill processing unit from said storage unit, said partition wall having a passage opening for allowing the bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit to pass through said partition wall based on an approval instruction, said bill processing unit being arranged on an outer side of said partition wall such that said bill passage of said bill processing unit and said bill passage of said storage unit are coupled via said passage opening of said partition wall.
  • 4. A bill handling machine comprising:a bill processing unit for receiving a bill and for examining the bill to determine whether the bill is acceptable, said bill processing unit having a bill passage and a temporary storage section for temporarily storing the bill received by said bill processing unit; a storage unit for receiving and storing the bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit, said storage unit having a bill passage; and a partition wall between a lobby room and a second room, said storage unit being arranged in the second room, said partition wall separating said bill processing unit from said storage unit, said partition wall having a passage opening for allowing the bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit to pass through said partition wall based on an approval instruction, said bill processing unit being arranged on a lobby room-side of said partition wall such that said bill passage of said bill processing unit and said bill passage of said storage unit are coupled via said passage opening of said partition wall.
  • 5. A bill handling machine comprising:a bill processing unit operable to receive at least one bill, operable to examine each of the at least one received bill to determine whether each of the at least one received bill is acceptable, and operable to dispense the at least one received and examined bill; a storage unit for receiving and storing the at least one bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit, and operable to send the at least one stored bill to said bill processing unit to be dispensed by said bill processing unit; and a security barrier separating said bill processing unit from said storage unit, said partition having a passage opening for allowing the at least one bill to pass through said partition; wherein said bill handling machine is adapted to function as a circulating-type bill depositing and dispensing unit.
  • 6. A circulating-type bill depositing and dispensing machine comprising:a bill processing unit operable to receive bills and operable to dispense bills; a storage unit operable to receive and store the bills received by said bill processing unit, and operable to feed out the bills therefrom; and a storage cassette operable to receive and store the bills fed out by said storage unit, and operable to feed out the bills therefrom, said storage cassette being arranged behind said storage unit in a columnar manner, said storage cassette including: a storage bin arranged in said storage cassette; a depositing passage for transmitting the bills into said storage bin; and a dispensing passage for feeding out the bills from said storage bin, said depositing passage and said dispensing passage being operable to couple to a depositing passage and a dispensing passage, respectively, of an adjacent second storage cassette.
  • 7. The machine of claim 6, wherein said storage cassette includes an outer shell and an inner shell fitted in said outer shell, said depositing passage and said dispensing passage being arranged in said outer shell, said storage bin being arranged in said inner shell, said inner shell being operable to be removed from said outer shell and transported.
  • 8. A circulating-type bill depositing and dispensing machine comprising:a bill processing unit operable to receive bills and operable to dispense bills; a storage unit operable to receive and store the bills received by said bill processing unit, and operable to feed out the bills therefrom; and a storage cassette operable to receive and store the bills fed out by said storage unit, and operable to feed out the bills therefrom, said storage cassette being arranged behind said storage unit in a columnar manner, said storage cassette including a depositing passage, a dispensing passage, and two vertically-arranged storage bins, and being operable to selectively distribute each of the bills from said depositing passage to a selected one of said storage bins, and being operable to selectively feed out the bills from said storage bins to said dispensing passage.
  • 9. A circulating-type bill depositing and dispensing machine comprising:a bill processing unit operable to receive bills and operable to dispense bills; a storage unit operable to receive and store the bills received by said bill processing unit, and operable to feed out the bills therefrom; and a storage cassette operable to receive and store the bills fed out by said storage unit, and operable to feed out the bills therefrom, said storage cassette being arranged behind said storage unit in a columnar manner, said storage cassette including a storage bin arranged such that the bills are fed into said storage bin through an upper portion of said storage bin and are fed out of said storage bin through a lower portion of said storage bin, said storage bin including: a feeding-out unit at said lower portion of said storage bin, for feeding out bills from said storage bin; stage for supporting the bills fed into said storage bin, said stage being operable to move vertically within said storage bin; a pressing body for pressing the bills downwardly against said stage and against said feeding-out unit, said pressing body being at least partially formed of a magnetic material; and an electromagnet arranged at said upper portion of said storage bin, said electromagnet being operable to lift and hold said pressing body so as to allow the bills to be fed into said storage bin and onto said stage, and operable to release said pressing body such that said pressing body falls and presses against the bills supported by said stage.
  • 10. A bill handling machine comprising:a bill processing unit for receiving at least one bill and for examining the at least one bill to determine whether the at least one bill is acceptable; a storage unit for receiving and storing the at least one bill one-at-a-time after the at least one bill is examined and accepted by said bill processing unit; and a vertical partition separating said bill processing unit from said storage unit, said vertical partition having a first passage opening for allowing the at least one bill examined and accepted by said bill processing unit to pass through said vertical partition from said bill processing unit to said storage unit, and having a second passage opening for allowing the at least one bill to pass through said vertical partition from said storage unit to said bill processing unit.
  • 11. The machine of claim 10, wherein said bill processing unit includes a depositing portion for receiving the at least one bill deposited into said bill processing unit.
  • 12. The machine of claim 11, wherein said bill processing unit further includes an examining component for examining the at least one bill to determine if the at least one bill is acceptable.
  • 13. The machine of claim 12, wherein said bill processing unit further includes a returning and dispensing portion, said returning and dispensing portion being operable to return the at least one bill after the at least one bill is examined by said examining component of said bill processing unit and not accepted, and being operable to dispense the at least one bill fed into said bill processing unit from said storage unit.
  • 14. The machine of claim 10, wherein said bill processing unit includes a returning portion for returning the at least one bill after the at least one bill is examined and not accepted by said bill processing unit.
Priority Claims (2)
Number Date Country Kind
2000-044188 Feb 2000 JP
2000-044202 Feb 2000 JP
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Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number Date Country
2-150986 Jun 1990 JP
2-166590 Jun 1990 JP
4-275695 Oct 1992 JP